Born to be Broken
by Hickok
Summary: Set two months after the events of The Game we Play. Ayame and Shigure are happy together but a discovery by Akito changes everything. What if the zodiac curse can be lifted, at a cost? CHAPTER 11 UP! Go updates GO!
1. Memories of Nightmares

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Born to be Broken.

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. But I do however own Akito Sohma, who owns the rest of the Jyuunishi, which means that they all belong to me!! HA HA HA HA HA!!

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Note: As promised, the sequel to The Game we Play. If you were paying attention, you would have noticed that the genre is horror/romance/mystery, the first of it's kind I've ever tried so let's see how I go shall we? Hmmm... Couplings for this fic? Ayame/Shigure obviously and Akito/Original Character. (I say no more here, because that would be telling. You'll just have to read to find out!) Hopefully this was worth the wait and that old readers and new ones alike will enjoy this! If not, well, flame away chappies. If it makes you feel better to make others feel bad then go right ahead. I won't cry *much.*

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Time is too slow for those who wait,  
too swift for those who fear,  
too long for those who grieve,  
too short for those who rejoice,  
but for those who love, time is eternity.  
~Henry Van Dyke~

"No! No! I won't go back into the darkness!" The boy screamed. A strong clawed hand reached out and snagged itself in his long dark hair, causing him to cry out in pain. The owner of the hand smiled at the boy's agony and twisted sharply, tearing out a clump of hair at the roots. 

"It is your honor... and your privilege _to be thrown into darkness." A cold voice hissed from those still smiling lips. "Why such a fuss? You are so very special to us... we love you with all our hearts..."_

"LIAR!" The boy sobbed, clutching at the hand that still gripped his blood stained hair. "If you loved me so much you would have let me go to her!! But you didn't!! You want her to die just like they do! I wanted to stay out here in the light with her! With everyone! I don't wanna go! I don't w-wanna g-g-go!!" His words broke off into a series of sobs so that he could no longer articulate himself. The man before him snarled at the sight of those tears and raised his free hand to shoulder height. He brought it down with bone breaking force; cracking the boys jaw and splitting his lips open from top to bottom. His crying ceased immediately as he fell backwards from the impact, crawling away like a wounded animal. 

"SILENCE!!" The man shouted as the boy whimpered in pain. "You are to be the master of this family and there is no place for weakness here! Your destiny demands you to be strong!"

"I don't want my destiny!!!" The young man screamed blood splattering from his bruised lips as he spoke. "I want to stay here in the light! I don't want to be in the shadows again! I LOVE her and you tore us apart, just like that thing now tears her apart!! If you truly loved me, you'd let me go to her!! She needs me and she doesn't know..." He fell forward, face pressed against the wooden floor as blood dripped from his mouth to splatter against the paneling like infant artwork. "She... She'll die never knowing the truth! That it's YOUR fault!! It's YOUR fault for all of this!! My love is not false, let it be known to her! Please!! ...Please??" 

There was stillness, a passing silence that hung in the air as sweet as an autumn breeze in the very depths of winter. The boy continued to cry from the corner, unable to comprehend which parts of his body were hurting and not knowing how to fix it. Knowing that no one would heal them for him and that he was doomed to fight against the pain, alone in the darkness. As it always had been. His hands clenched against the stab wound in his side; the cut only deep enough to cause excruciating pain at every movement, but not enough to kill him. He wished that it would. He prayed _that it would. If only they had stabbed deeper and the horrific torment that twisted his heart from inside would be allowed to end! But no... no, they would never give him an easy way out. This was his punishment for betraying them and they were going to exact it as they saw fit._

"This is unacceptable..." The man said at last with a sneer. "You sicken me... you sicken us all with your pathetic asinine actions. Now, you will _return darkness! You _will _suffer!! You will suffer as you deserve for your traitorous ways! Then and only then will you arise to ascension, when and only when we deem you worthy!"_

"Go to Hell!" The boy screamed, clutching the wooden carving around his neck and rubbing it between his fingers, obscuring the symbolism of the piece. "I WON'T go!! I'll tear you limb from limb before you drag me back to that infernal damnation!!"

"You won't be needing such a petty decoration where you're going..." The man said, ignoring the boy's words. He reached out and snagged the necklace, tugging the knotted cord so tightly that it choked the boy for a second before it was torn from his neck. The necklace was discarded to the side, tumbling across the weathered floorboards before slipping down between an enlarged gap. The boy gasped and dove after it, long fingernails scrambling at the sides of the space as he tried to pry it open far enough to reach his hand inside.

"No!! It was a gift from her! It's all I have left!" He cried.

"Silence!!" The man shouted and there was enough seriousness in his voice that the boy obeyed immediately. Though he did not raise himself from the floor and continued to cower there, shaking and trembling.

"Now... it's time to return to darkness." The man said.

The boy burst into tears. There was none of the sniffling and sobbing preliminaries that usually led up to a full blown outburst, there was just a loud wailing onslaught that echoed around the dank room like a beasts cry. The man was momentarily taken aback, unprepared for such a violent reaction. For a while he simply stood there, watching the blood covered lad clutching the floor, as though it were his only anchor in reality. But then he got a hold of himself. This was not what the Other's wanted, said a less emotional voice inside of his head, reassuring him. This was of no importance to those in the higher order. So instead of reaching out to reassure the frightened youth he reared back his hand and slapped him again.

"Shut up." He said. "It's time to go."

The boy did shut up. But he found an alternative to the impending prospect and it suited him much better. As the hand struck him he spun with the glancing blow, leaping to his feet in one fluid movement and back flipping away, putting a reasonable distance between them. The man barely had time to react; the response was so unexpected. Before he could blink the boy had reached the opposite side of the room and had ripped an ornamental dagger from the wall; it had seen some heavy wear and was most probably not just for show. The blade gleamed as though it had been thoroughly sharpened time and time again, though never dulled to begin with. The boy perceived this and knew from experience how deep the knife cut, simply by running the tip of a finger over it. He thus anticipated the depth of a wound it would sew, when thrown from a great distance, with a great anger behind it. 

It sliced through the air, faster and harder than the man would have believed possible. The youth's strength was indeed admirable, but it paled in comparison to everything that he himself was capable off. The man snapped forward and the blade was ensnared between the nails of his index and middle fingers. He allowed it to hang there, suspended for a moment until the weight bore it to the ground. It fell, embedding itself deep within the soft wood and the man stepped over it's quivering hilt towards the boy, who stared at him with a complex expression on his youthful face. Not shock so much as bitterness towards the situation itself. As though he knew that the action was pointless in the first place but nonetheless he had still hoped...

"Valiant attempt, but futile none the less..." The man whispered almost sinisterly, robes swirling around him as though a breeze had filtered within the confined room. Of course there was no way in which any such breeze could have entered. "Now come..." He stretched out his hand. "Your destiny awaits..."

The boy did take the hand extended to him. Instead he made a sudden rapid dash to the side as though he meant to escape. But his wound would not allow it. The flip he had performed before had split the slash open even wider and blood was pouring from his side, staining his white robes red all the way down to the hem. He staggered, fell over the low table in the center of the room and was promptly caught in the arms of another robed individual.

"Let me help you." The man said. Though he wasn't speaking to the boy. It was the other man that he was addressing.

"Yes, that might be wise..." He agreed, watching as the youth thrashed as much as his abused body would allow. "He may injure himself permanently at this rate and we don't wish to inflict wounds on him that may never heal."

The First came around and grasped the boy by the wrist, tugging him in the direction of the doorway, as the Second held him constrictively by the shoulders. As they shoved the door open, the youth latched his spare arm around the frame, clinging on as tightly as a child to it's mothers bosom. The First darted forward, long fingers wrapping around the circular curve of the boys shoulder, trying to pull him out from where he had wedged himself. The boy put up a fight, lashing out with his free hand and swiping at the two older men with a viscous expression on his face. The First uttered a guttural snarl and, placing both hands on the boys shoulder, pulled backwards with the entire weight of his body. There was a muffled crack; like the sound of a brick falling against concrete as the boys' shoulder popped out of joint and the youth was now screaming in a long sustained note of pain. His grip loosened on the doorway and the two men bundled him between them; the Second clasping a hand over his mouth to stiffle the screams. Together they dragged him outside, where the only light visible was from the three-quarter moon that hung in the cloudy sky. He twisted within their grip, crying from behind the rough palm that encased his mouth. Crying for help, calling for the neighbors that were too far away to hear anything. He relaxed the weight of his body dramatically, such as a child might do when they don't want to go somewhere, making it more difficult for the robed ones to carry him. His bare feet sought out notches in the ground to halt or slow the continual progress, but this effort only resulted in the skin being torn off against sharp rocks and other protrusions.

A trail of blood indicated the path of the three men and it wove out into the dark woods, coming close to the border of the lake and then veering off back into the forests very depths, where no light penetrated at all. Even without the aid of illumination the robed ones were able to find what they were after; a seemingly harmless looking shed hidden within a low hanging canopy formed of trees and leaves. The First threw his weight against the door and it sagged beneath him, creaking inwards revealing darkness eternally spiraling downwards into the earth. The youth flinched away from the foul odor that was released from confinement, whimpering in pain and fear. He visibly jumped as a woman's scream filtered up from below, a horse continual cry of suffering, blended with tears. The boy's mouth opened and shut in rapid succession as he realized exactly where he was.

He was taken deep within the bowels of the earth, dragged through dirt and grime and the scent of blood. A pungent intoxicating stench of urine and human excrement soon raped his nostrils and he dry retched, eventually vomiting when his eyes saw what his nose forewarned. He was pulled back up from his own bile and dragged roughly by the hair southward, to a dark room. From the outside, you might not have even known it was there, as it blended right into the wood. There was a coldness in the room that was the first thing the boy was reminded of as he was thrown inside. His back hit another door, with three great elaborate locks on it. The First and Second stepped in behind him, closing the first door almost entirely. A sliver of light was allowed so that they could see. 

Whilst they fished through their pockets, searching for the keys that would unlock the second doorway, the boy crawled forward trying to see out through the space that remained, lit only by dull candle light from outside. He had to see. He had to know if it was really—

The First kicked him cruelly in the side, exacting such force that the youth rolled back towards the other door, slamming into it. His injured shoulder took the brunt of the impact and he moaned weakly, too ill from the small glance he had been able to steal, to even scream properly. 

"... So much blood... so much blood... so much blood..." He whispered, feeling his mind threatening to cave in on itself and wanting to let it. It was too horrible... what they had done... what they had done to... her... 

He vomited on himself again, seeing blood within the almost transparent fluid and wondering if he would ever escape the memory of that vile red color. The robed ones had finished unlocking the door and were reaching out to reclaim him again. 

The youth wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his face an animalistic mask of rage. "YOU FUCKING MONSTERS!! HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY ANY OF THIS??!! HOW DARE _YOU DO THIS!!! HOW DARE YOU??!!"_

The voice screaming from within him was thickening, as though the substance of his own individual persona was being sucked out and replaced by something else. Another something that was more powerful... infinitely omnipotent and dominant in the compressed nature of it's state. The robed ones paid no mind to it, hefting the boy between them, not registering the sunken gray ring that had formed around the center of his now glassy, blankly staring eyes. Perhaps they perceived it as merely shock, the inability to focus on anything as a result of fear. Whatever the case, they bound the youth within the third room, beyond the third door that was behind the second with the three locks. His clothes were stripped away and thorned willow branches twined around the length of his body, arms strung up unnaturally into the air, suspending him in the center of the room like a fly caught in an expansive spider web. The branches being his only support tore into the flesh, dripping blood down onto the already stained dirt floor. Nothing about this room had ever, ever been altered since it had first been made.

"Close the door..." The Second hissed, stepping out ahead of his compatriot, robe swirling around his slim form. The First cast one last glance at the nude lad as he dangled there in agony, blood dripping steadily from each cruel laceration, creating a steady repetitive noise in the otherwise silent room. He moved to close the door, his hand ensnaring the handle when the youth spoke. It was with some difficulty as one twine of willow was drawn across his jugular and constricted his Adam's Apple. 

"...We'll come back..." He rasped. The First stared as the boy painfully lifted his head, blank eyes settling on his own with a frightening indifference. "... She and I... we'll come back... And I assure you... you will pray for death at my hands... long after death finds me."

"Don't speak nonsense." The First tried to say firmly. But his voice wavered.

The youth snickered, blood peeling across his face and into his eyes. "We'll never leave... not ever... you'll never be rid of us, even after you're dead and rotting in the ground." His voice lowered even more so that it was almost inaudible; like a broom sweeping across a wooden floor. "And let it be known, that this face will haunt your dreams... your reality... your every step... even as it rots away within these walls. Ah... yes... because there shall be no sleep for the damned... nor the dead."

And there was a sudden burst of laughter echoing around the room; the youths own as it erupted from his slack jawed mouth, combined with several other indistinct voices that had no visible point of origin. As it increased in strength, the First finally jerked himself into action, slinging the door closed with so much force the dirt walls shook. He quickly dashed through the second door, slamming that also and jamming the keys into the locks in rapid succession, panting with fearful relief as he heard each one click into place. Only when he had shut the final door and locked that too, did he feel safe and was able to slow down. He leant his forehead against the wood paneling, taking deep shuddering breaths as he tried to slow his heart rate. Though it was muffled by the constraints of the walls and doors, he could still hear the distinct sound of laughter from far away. Deep within the earth, in a room where no light penetrated and the only companion of those inside was the dripping of their own blood.

And the laughter...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Ayame jerked awake the sound of the laughter still echoing in his head. Instantly, both hands were pressed to the sides of his head and he shook it back and forth as though that might eradicate the sound. It was the same old tired trick, that seemed to work only when _it_ wanted too and never when _he_ wanted it too. Ayame was shaking; his entire body was quivering from the tips of his fingers to the ends of his toes.

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Why? He thought to himself. _Why do I keep having these dreams?_

Already, he was entirely awake and alert. When he dreamt like this, adrenaline pumped through his system like fast working venom for which he was entirely grateful. It was that period of time between waking up and _really _waking up that was the most frightening; sometimes you couldn't even tell if you were still caught within the confines of a dream or not.

Ayame wearily rubbed his eyes, thinking back to the very first time these nightmares had appeared to him. Two months ago, to be exact... the same time when he and Shigure... well...

He jumped as a strong hand pressed against his shoulder and rough fingers soothed his bare flesh. He turned to see a pair of dark brown eyes staring up at him through the darkness and the vague outline of a weary face framed by a tousled head of hair.

"Nightmare again?" 

Ayame gave a slight nod of verification and placed his hand over the one clasping his shoulder, stroking the long fingers thoughtfully. At least there was a consolation prize for awakening in the middle of the night like this. Only, he felt guilty for disturbing his loves sleep. Especially when he had a deadline coming up on his latest novel and was in need of as much rest as he could obtain.

With certain exceptions to the rule of course.

Shigure sighed and rolled over, flicking on the bedside light. Ayame blinked sleepily, trying to get his eyes to adjust and wiggled back down into the covers, pulling them up over his naked body. It wasn't exactly a warm night and the last thing he needed was to go snake because he'd been lying there uncovered. No sooner had he settled himself, then Shigure rolled over on top of him, hands brushing the stray hair from the side of his face. Their eyes met.

"Wanna talk about it?" The inu asked.

Ayame murmured something incomprehensible as he wrapped his arms around Shigure's waist and nuzzled his face against his chest. A moment of silence passed between them, Shigure waiting patiently for his lovers' response and Ayame searching for the response itself. Eventually, he decided it wasn't really important. They were only dreams; he needn't worry Shigure about something so irrelevant.

"You know..." He said softly as he traced imaginary words onto the other mans back. "I... I don't really remember it now... Funny how dreams fade away like that isn't it?"

Shigure didn't seem convinced and raised an eyebrow to express this. Ayame chose to ignore it so the inu decided to let it slide. 

"Okay... but if you want to talk about it, _tell _me, okay? Don't go letting it upset you anymore. It's not worth it."

"If I remember, I'll tell you Gure." Ayame said, leaning up to deposit a small kiss on Shigure's lips. Though it's intention was innocent, that small kiss soon escalated and the two men found themselves kissing one another ravenously, hands all over the place as their passion escalated. As they paused to breathe, Ayame took a chance to gaze fondly at his friend, smiling above him as he panted. He looked exquisite when sleep and the toss-turnings of night had their way with him. Hair mussed by the pillows and Ayame's hands hours before, eyes bleary and half glued shut by sleep, the naked form of his chest still shining with dried perspiration from their previous love making session... Ayame thought he looked gorgeous. But then again... he was always gorgeous in Ayame's eyes. So patient with him even though night after night he continually woke him up, shaking and shuddering at the memories that weren't even real. Ayame wished it didn't have to be like that. When he dreamed, all he wanted to see was Shigure; the same face he saw as he dozed off to sleep. To hear his voice whispering to him of sweet nothings that lovers pass off as some kind of heightened language that only they could understand. To see his smile, to possess those sweet lips with his own and take their senses to new heights that could only be reached through the illusions of sleep.

Yet it was only the nightmares that would come. Night after night after night. Blood... cruel laughter... pain... suffering... He didn't want to see that anymore! What was wrong with him?!

"Aya?" Shigure asked, hand pressed against the snakes' face. "Aya what's wrong? Tell me what's wrong!"

Ayame realized that he was crying and immediately tried to turn his face away from Shigure, to hide the tears that he had already seen. But Shigure wouldn't allow it. He clasped his face between his hands and forced their eyes to meet, his thumbs moving to eradicate the shameful tears.

"I don't know why these... _nightmares _have got you so upset Ayame." He whispered, pressing their foreheads together. "But I know that I don't like what they're doing to you, so here's the deal: Tomorrow I'm going to go see Hari and find out if there's anything he can do to help get rid of them. Because God forbid... I hate seeing you this way..."

Ayame whimpered at the sympathy in Shigure's voice reaching up to hook his arms around his neck and pull him down against his chest. This man was just so wonderful, the way he cared for him. True it had taken a long time for him to get to this point, but the important thing was that they were finally here together. Ayame weaved his fingers through Shigure's hair whilst the other man massaged his thumbs across his arms, reassuring him in subtle primitive patterns. Already, Ayame felt calmer. Safer somehow.

"You shouldn't bother Hari." He insisted, closing his eyes. Shigure's touch was working to lull him back off to sleep again. "He's got more important things to worry about then dreams Gure. Besides... I'm probably just nervous about... you know..."

"Nerves have nothing to do with it." Shigure grumbled, moving his thumbs to the gap between Ayame's neck and his shoulders. "Nerves make you drink gratious amounts of coffee. Nerves make you stay up late at night, jumping around the kitchen keeping the rest of the family awake. Nerves make you ring up certain very busy doctors and prattle at them for hours on the phone about random topics such as the meaning behind 'Wassailing' and whether the city of Atlantis really does exist."

Ayame giggled in recognition. 

"My point is, that nerves can manifest themselves in a variety of ways, some more peculiar than others. But recurring dreams about blood, satanic rituals and whatnot are definitely not one of them. No matter what Mii might say to the contrary." Shigure and Ayame chuckled in unison. "And for all we know it may be highly psychological in nature and simply by confronting the correct issue and properly decoding it, you can eliminate the likelihood of said nightmares ever stopping in for a visit again. I think it's worth talking to Hari."

At this, Shigure rolled over, off of Ayame and propped himself up on his elbow, surveying him coquettishly from beneath his bangs.

"So what do you say, Ayame? Hmmm?" He teased; tickling the snakes rounded tummy that lay exposed due to him shifting the sheets. "Otherwise I may have to do the _Thing _again and we don't want that do we?"

Ayame considered. "Which _Thing _are we talking about again, Shiggy? We've got so many you know that I just seem to have lost count."

"You know... the _Thing..._" Said Shigure more insistently, raising an eyebrow. "Where I use the... _thing_..."

Ayame raised both brows. "_That _thing?"

Shigure nodded.

"But I like that _Thing!"_

"Aya!!" Growling, Shigure rolled back over, trying to pin him to the bed. Ayame fought back, laughing crazily as Shigure's hands tickled him mercilessly, trying to over power him. A loud thumping issued from the ceiling, which was Kyou code for; "I'm awake, you are the case of my being awake and now I am pissed off and jumping up and down on the floor." Though Shigure was very attempted to just ignore him and continue his molestation, he decided that since the kid had school tomorrow he should in fact, give him a break. He placed a finger over his lips and made a shush noise at Ayame, indicating his laughter volume be lowered to non-existent. Ayame got the hint and lay there quietly, staring up at the ceiling. After a while, it seemed that Kyou was satisfied with this offering of silence and the floor creaked again as his weight was shifted back into his futon. Shigure braced both his arms against Ayame's chest and pushed down hard, pinning him to the mattress effectively. His voice lowered and Ayame had to lean close to hear what he was saying.

"You fear the _Thing _Aya, okay? You fear the _Thing _so much, that you would give into anything I suggest just to avoid an encounter with Its Awfulness. So come on..." At this, he lifted Ayame's hand and lightly kissed his knuckles, rubbing the spot tenderly following the kiss. "Let me go talk to Hari? I'm sure he won't mind."

Well it was hard to argue when he was being that charming. _The bastard knows it too_... Ayame thought, biting his lip as he looked up into Shigure's eyes. He sighed, realizing he was looking at this from the wrong perspective. Shigure wanted to do this because he was concerned about him, not because he wanted to get one over him. He needed to understand that and just let Shigure do, as he wanted. Sometimes it was easier that way.

"Whatever you want Shiggy." He murmured.

Shigure smiled gently and framed his lovers' slender chin, pushing it up so he could kiss his full, sensuous lips. Ayame kissed back, loving how the action was never automatic between them. Not once, in their two months of being together had either of them ever displayed affection to the either on a basis of it being appropriate. It was quite natural between them and neither ever had a reason to pretend that they wanted to be kissed, or touched or made love too. Every time they did it was out of a genuine desire that passed between them, not an obligation on behalf of the other.

Shigure trailed kisses along to Ayame's ear, toying at the gold hoop with his teeth and nibbling on the lobe. His tongue snaked up the sensitive shell and he whispered in his ear.

"Good." He said, pausing to lay a small kiss on the space behind Ayame's ear. "But... in the meantime... is there anything that I can do right now to take your mind off of it sweetheart?"

Ayame smiled and tugged his arms free, sliding them up around Shigure's waist and then further down to stroke his buttocks. Shigure had once told him quite blatantly that he had a butt fetish. Ayame's defense was that he simply liked Shigure's ass and not everyone's in general. Which was mostly true. He had liked other butt's than Shigure's, _obviously,_ but not nearly as much. None could compare to the muscled tight flesh his hands could so easily need and massage. Ayame smiled as he rubbed, watching his lovers' face twist into an assorted array of expressions at the stimulation that was something of a ritual now. Shigure rolled his hips forward and back, rubbing his growing hardness against Ayame's all the while kissing him passionately. His hands wrapped around the other mans slimmer shoulders, pulling him up a little off of the mattress so that he was able to rub the entire length of his smooth back as well as the subtle curve of his buttocks. Ayame moaned through the heavy kiss, raising a hand and pressing it against Shigure's cheek as they pecked at one another's lips. A bead of sweat dripped down the tailors' face and Shigure caught it with his tongue, tracing it back up to his hairline before licking it away completely. Their bodies were already florid and slick from arousal, dampening the thin sheets around them. Shigure pushed the up most layers off so they could both lie on the mattress alone, sparing the sheets from any mess they would create. No words were exchanged between them during their foreplay, other than the moaned cry of each other's name. Sweet words and lovely phrases were reserved for love making alone. Not for sex.

When both were eventually hard enough, Ayame positioned himself with his legs spread wide beneath Shigure, indicating that he wanted to be penetrated. Only after Shigure had lubricated him, did they proceed further and they made love, more so for the physical intimacy it afforded, rather than the emotional. It was nearing the very early hours of the morning by the time they had finished and together they pulled the sheets back over one another and curled up beneath the canopy they'd created. Arms reached out and cradled one another and then all the right words were said. Vows of love, comments on positive aspects of the physical appearance, more talk of love. Mostly on Ayame's side. He wasn't quite as shy as expressing that as Shigure was.

He said it a lot more regularly that morning however, in the midst of the cuddling and touching and kissing. He said it at every chance he had.

Ayame was glad that Shigure never inquired further about the particulars of his dream. He feared that if he did, he might not be able to lie again.

But how could he tell him, that the boy he had seen in his dream, the one he saw buried deep within the earth, in a room where no light penetrated and the only companion of those inside was the dripping of their own blood... how could he tell Shigure...

-That the boy looked like him?

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Note: Not meant to make much sense yet folks. Only the epilogue so don't start sending me emails going; "WTF???!!!" First chapter coming soon so R and R my pretty pretty pretties... 

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	2. The Dark Spider

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Born to be Broken.

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket? Yeah. I own it. (Taps fingers together and looks around nervously.) Okay... not really... But that would be cool, ne?

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Note: I am updating the first chapter now, because... well... I feel like it. I wont go into descriptive thanking of reviewers yet because I've only got three so far and one of them wasn't very nice. Oh and on that note, Kayla: Thankyou. We are all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.

(Thanks to my nice reviewers, especially the one who remarked on the Forbidden Flame. You are the ones I write for! So I hope you enjoy. I'll keep writing for you guys! ^^)

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"A spoken word is like a sparrow. Once it flies out, you can't catch it." – Russian proverb.

He slipped away from the windowsill, robes shifting around his slim form and whispering soft insinuations as they brushed together. He crossed the room towards the bed, intending to sleep for a few hours and rest his ill-wearied body.

A floorboard creaked beneath his feet.

*

Shigure and Ayame spent the day at home. The house felt strangely quiet without Yuki and Kyou around to spice up the atmosphere. Sometimes Ayame wondered how Shigure managed his days all alone, with only the company of his computer and the occasional distressed call from Mii to harass him about his upcoming deadline. Already she had interrupted them several times just when they had been getting close and personal, which made Shigure suspect that Mii had set up surveillance around the house to ensure that he was working and not having fun. With the constant tolling of the phone determined to ruin moods of any sort being created, the pair decided they were better off getting work out of the way before they could play in peace. Therefore the day passed mostly uneventfully, Shigure typing away at his computer, occasionally pausing to thumb his way through some relevant notes, whilst Ayame contented himself to doing some designing in the corner. He sat, pencil arched upwards between the press of his lips as he carefully examined his latest sketch. It wasn't exactly his usual style of garment and he was unsure as to what people's reactions would be to it. Only this outfit wasn't going in his shop, oh no.

It was going on _him._

"What's another word for indifferently?" Shigure called, interrupting his analysis of the drawing. Ayame raised his head, the pen tilted downward to follow the slope of his lip.

"Umm..." He murmured, looking quite startled that they were interacting. The room had been quiet for far too long. "Why are you asking me? Don't you have a thesaurus that can tell you that?"

Shigure grinned at him sheepishly. "I was just looking for an excuse to talk really."

Ayame laughed at him and withdrew the pen from his mouth, using the capped lid to move some hair from his face.

"That's good. Because quite frankly, I don't have a clue. 'Unemotionally', maybe? Or... lackadaisically? Ooh! OOH! I KNOW!! 'Hari!!'"

"You think I should ask Hari for advice?" Shigure asked uncertainly. Ayame shook his head.

"No you idiot! You can use _Hari _in place of _indifferently_!" He giggled jovially and threw himself backwards onto the bed, slapping the drawing pad against his forehead. "Oh Gure! What would you do without me?"

"Probably curl up and die." The dog replied immediately, as he typed 'unemotionally' onto the screen. It worked. He kept it. "See? Look at that! You just saved my novel! _My hero._" He added, somewhat sarcastically.

Ayame threw a pillow at him, disgusted. "I heard that you big meanie! And don't think you'll be getting a cuddle tonight either, if you're going to speak to me that way!"

Shigure threw the pillow back, rolling his eyes after Ayame had caught it. "Please... you wouldn't last five minutes on one side of the bed... all by yourself...." He teased, waggling his fingers in a horror movie type way.

"Meanie." Ayame repeated. "That's two nights worth of cuddles, now."

"Only say it if you mean it ~!" Shigure sang, wiggling his finger at the snake then setting both hands down on the keyboard. He squinted over the tops of his glasses at the slightly glowing screen then his fingers flew, adding more words and sentences. He pursed his lips, reading back over what he had just written, then with a disgusted snort, highlighted and erased the lot.

"I heard that." Ayame called from behind his sketchpad.

"Please... how could you hear the sound of erasing font?"

Ayame rolled over onto his stomach and set his chin on top of his hands. "Your disgruntled snort indicated you are not happy with how things are progressing, so naturally you are going to be a big whiny baby about it and get rid of everything without even considering that a simple bit of editing can solve all your problems."

"I'm too tired to concentrate..." Shigure whined, pulling off his glasses and rubbing at his weary eyes. Ayame felt guilt rise in his chest, then quickly brushed it aside. _Its Shigure's fault too... _he thought, setting the drawing pad down on the floor beside the bed and rolling off. _If he's going to complain about it now, then he should have better control of his sex drive,_ he rationalized making his way over to Shigure and waving a hand jerkily to indicate that he should scoot backwards from his desk a little. Shigure, half way through a yawn, complied and shifted away, giving Ayame room to sit himself down in the gap of his crossed legs and examine the screen. He scratched his chin thoughtfully as he read the tiny print, trying to ignore Shigure as he wrapped his arms around his waist and buried his face against his back. _Damn, it _is _hard to concentrate..._

"This is the last chapter, I'm guessing?" He asked finally. Shigure nodded into his spine and made a sleepy noise. Ayame thrust his butt backwards firmly, forcing Shigure to pay attention. "It sounds fine to me. What's the story about?"

"Boy meets girl, boy likes girl, boy compromises upstanding social status just to be with girl, ends up getting dumped like a two day old corpse and dropping out of school." Shigure yawned, covering his hand with his mouth. He reached around Ayame and moved the mouse up towards the tiny cross in the corner and clicking on it. "It's boring anyway."

Ayame smiled. "I like it. I wanna find out how it ends."

Shigure smiled back and nuzzled his face into his lover's neck, murmuring sweet little sounds against his skin. "It ends like this."

Ayame feigned innocence. "It ends with me sitting in your lap?"

"It ends with love." The inu laughed, reaching up to ruffle his friends hair. "Don't play coy with me young man, you know that gets you into all sorts of trouble."

"Ooh... hiss~" Ayame whispered, blowing gently on Shigure's lips. "Care to educate me?"

The novelist laughed a little, a serious look suddenly overlapping his humorous expression as he stretched himself out on the floor, locking his eyes on Ayame. _Uh oh, _the snake thought. _This looks like trouble..._

"About those nightmares-" He began, and Ayame groaned, wishing it had been anything but that. It was a subject he wasn't exactly big on at the moment. "I was thinking how strange it was that they keep recurring like this... you know? So... I gave Hari a ring this morning to see if he could come over and talk about it."

"And?" Ayame asked.

"Seems he wanted to talk to me about something too, so he asked me to drop by the main house this afternoon. He's a bit overworked poor thing and it doesn't seem he can spare much time. Will you be coming over too? I think it might be an idea, after all... you are the one having these dreams."

Ayame pursed his lips and looked to the side, an indication that he was grumpy about the whole thing. It was a while before he answered.

"I've told you enough about them. Would you mind going over yourself? There's something I need to be doing here..."

Shigure wasn't surprised at the response, though he did arch an eyebrow as if he were. Perhaps it was an action he had grown altogether too comfortable with around Ayame.

"Oh?" He said, though the word lacked question and didn't require a response. "Well... that's okay. Knowing Hari he'll probably just say that 'nightmares are a reflection of stress, a coping mechanism for the mind.'" He added, in a deep frightfully accurate impersonation of Hatori's voice. Ayame laughed loudly, though he felt a little guilty for doing so.

"I ask you Shigure; what stress exactly do I have in my life?" He questioned, raking a hand through his hair and tossing the strands upwards so they shone in the sunlight. It went without saying that he was unconditionally besotted with his hair and reinforced his love of it at every chance. Showing it off like this was just another way of doing it. 

Shigure chuckled at his statement. "None as far as I can tell." He said, reaching up to stroke his knuckles along Ayame's cheek. "Though it could just be nerves from—hmm, nah! Not you."

"You're absolutely right, Gure!" Ayame said, closing his eyes and enjoying Shigure's touch. He lay his body down and cuddled up close to the dog, wrapping his arms around him and gazing into his eyes. "A few hundred people, flashing lights and microphones doesn't scare Ayame Sohma, no siree! But it would be nice to figure out what does... because these dreams, nightmares _whatever _are doing serious damage to my hair!" He held up the ends as if to prove this, only there wasn't one split end in sight. Shigure pretended to examine them thoroughly and then sighed and closed his eyes as though the sight was too terrible to behold.

"Yes... this dreadful, dreadful thing must be brought to a close at once! Though... when it results it situations like _this _is it any wonder I might be a... oh let's say, tad _reluctant _to let them go?" He laughed, placing his hand on Ayame's cheek and kissing his tender lips. "I've gotta hand it to those pesky little dreams! They sure have brought us close together, haven't they?"

"I'll be sure to write them a thankyou note." Ayame replied, breathlessly as the other man pecked his lips and nuzzled them affectionately with his own. The snake slid his leg between Shigure's and rubbed his knee up against his manhood. The response rippled through the inu's body like ice fire, activating little pinpoints of pleasure here and there. Shigure crooned a soft sound and brushed his fingers along the crest of Ayame's neck, brushing the soft sensitive fuzzle there.

It was moments like this that the pair really enjoyed. Even after two months together, they were still discovering little things about one another that they hadn't even known before, despite 27 years of friendship. For example; it was uncommon for Ayame to spend a night at Shigure's house. He was more likely to spend a week. Ayame brushed his teeth in the bath and left his toothbrush lying in the soap rack where Shigure had come across it. Ah yes, nothing spelled commitment like finding a person's toiletries in your tub. Unless they were of course using _your _toiletries and Ayame was prone to doing that too.

Shigure's room had taken on the undeniable scent of lavender, which had filtered upstairs into Kyou's room and driven him out of the house. He spent most nights on the roof now and only come inside to eat and whine about mosquito bites. 

Ayame had the bizarre tendency of simply _needing _to wash his hair twice a day with _three _different brands of shampoo and _two _kinds of conditioner. Then he'd blow dry his mane to perfection in the very early hours of the morning, waking everyone up and singing offensively loudly while he did. The fruity smell of the shampoo's lingered in the air for weeks, even when Ayame went home and took his hair care products with him. He would always return however, two weeks later at the most to stay a couple of nights and "keep Shigure company." 

__

What else? Shigure thought, as Ayame rolled him over and slid atop him. _Oh yeah... and he's always doing something with my hair... spiking it up and gelling it. ...I've had so much product in my hair it's a wonder I was ever able to wash it. Still... he had been so pleased with it ~_

"Ayame..." He chuckled, as the snake started pushing open his robes at the collar and suckling the skin beneath. "If I don't finish this off today Mii will have my head. And I don't mean the one on my neck either..."

Ayame gazed at him a little disappointed and then gave a half-hearted shrug as though it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Either way it's a bad thing." He concluded standing up and heading back over to Shigure's bed. The dog pulled himself into a sitting position, amazed at Ayame's self control. Usually, he would tease and coax him into it until he eventually consented. He must be tired himself, he figured.

Ayame paused before the bed and lowered his eyes to the sketchpad on the floor. He bent down to pick it up, allowing Shigure a clear view of his perfectly round ass. The inu whistled loudly pleased that he had persuaded his lover into wearing one of his old work shirts that morning. He cut a divine figure, long legs stretching out from beneath the hem and angled in perfect symmetry to the rest of his lean body. The sleeves were too long and come just up to the tips of his fingers, very nearly hindering his use of them. Ayame used the sleeves to wipe the dust from the drawing pad and turned to face Shigure, blinking adorably at him with just the hint of a smile on his feminine face. "It's almost two o'clock Shigure, so if you're not going to work I suggest you head on over to the main house and see if you can speak to Hari now. I'd like to do a few things but I'll be finished by the time you're back."

"What kind of things?"

"Just... things." Ayame said mysteriously, walking towards him and whacking him over the head with the sketchpad. "And _that _was for whistling, you dirty bastard."

"You loved it and you know it." Shigure leered, rubbing at the sore spot as Ayame started going through his closet, tossing various clothes onto the bed. He watched the process, still amazed at how quickly they had slid into the cookie cutter couple mold over the previous two months. Ayame always had to pick what clothes he wore if he was in the house to do so. It was a cute traditional little habit of his, though sometimes it got annoying. He did know how to dress himself after all. ...Well... kind of...

Shigure climbed to his feet, stretching his cramped limbs as he made his way over to the bedside table, moving around Ayame's rummaging form. He tugged open the middle drawer, glancing over his various boxers with a critical eye before settling on a pair of plain white. Shigure shrugged off his robe, depositing it on the floor and quickly changed his boxers, moving fluently to prevent Ayame from taking revenge for his whistle. Once donned, he ambled over to see what the other man had picked out for him, God forbid. Ayame grinned as he shoved two hangers towards Shigure's face with such gusto that he felt a rush of air fan his face. The clothes swung briefly on the hangers before coming to a halt.

"Here you go! Now get changed! Chop, chop!" Ayame chirped, gesturing wildly with the hangers. Shigure examined the articles; a moderately conservative black shirt with Asian trim along the collar and a pair of jeans with slightly flared legs. He raised an eyebrow.

"Since when did I own _these?_" 

"I took the liberty!" Ayame said, posing with the articles as though he were a model in a magazine. "I mean, I love you and all Shigure, but dear me you appear to have a lacking of intelligence when it comes to the area of fashion! With nice long legs like yours, you should be wearing clothes that make the most of them rather then baggy trousers that make you resemble a dwarf! Heaven forbid!"

"Since when did I resemble a dwarf?" Shigure said, looking hurt. Ayame laughed and hefted the clothing into his arms.

"Get changed!" He repeated, leaning in to give him a quick kiss. "And if you come back quickly, I may just have a surprise waiting for you..."

Shigure got changed. He was out of the house before Mii called for the seventh time.

****************

Though he arrived at the house with only one intention in mind, Shigure found himself even more confused then he was originally. Hatori had invited him inside and the topic had swayed from Ayame like a tree branch in a stubborn wind, to another seemingly more pressing matter.

Akito was dying.

Shigure gazed into his cousin's face in disbelief.

"So... this is it then?" He finally choked out. "There's nothing more that you can do?"

Hatori buried his hands deep into his lab coat pockets and lowered his head. His eye was weighed down with dark rims of pressure and he seemed immeasurably tired. Though he did his best not to express it.

"I'm afraid so Shigure. From here on in, no matter what I do Akito has mere months left in him." The dragon slowly walked over to the window and gazed out. The garden had the first markings of spring; the fresh beginnings of new life. The buds on the surrounding cherry blossom tree's were sit to flower; a tear drop shape of pink peeking out through the green veil that encased it. There was rebirth all around them, fresh vitality and unmistakable beauty. Yet, in amongst all this new life there was the ever-present stench of death. Eroding, constant and ever lingering from the zodiac's first days as the cursed. Akito's own individual curse was stretching out its dark hand to overshadow everything within in the Sohma grounds and even the sunniest patches of grass seemed choked with darkness. Hatori shivered involuntarily. The entire house seemed suddenly haunted, as though a wraith had simply brushed up against his straight back and traced one cold finger down the slope of his spine. He shook his head, damning himself for such irrational thoughts.

Shigure watched Hatori slip into one of his extensive silences with unabated patience. He knew that the doctor was simply considering what he would say next; weighing choice words up against one another to distinguish those that would phrase the meaning more appropriately. But still—he couldn't help but let the annoyance he felt well up within him. He clutched at his thick hair, as though the individual strands would somehow reconfirm his grasp on reality. It was so... confusing. Though expected and assumed as an inevitable occurrence, actually hearing the words baptized in speech sent his mind reeling to the brink of incomprehensible thought. Shigure couldn't understand why now of all times. Everything had finally fallen into place in the Sohma family. Everything in _his _life at the very least was perfect.

So why _now_?

"It's certainly a bullet out of the dark..." He finally said, feeling even as he spoke that this somehow wasn't true. In all their hearts they knew that Akito was teetering on the precipice that represented his own fall into death. "I... I can't say I really understand though. He was fine up until now, wasn't he? Stable at the very least... right? So why is he suddenly on his death bed?"

"Akito has been on a rapid health decline for months now." Hatori replied solemnly, contradicting Shigure's assumption. His single eye remained focused on the blossom buds as they swayed gently in the early afternoon breeze. He somehow felt calmer observing these obscure actions of nature, which he might have any other day taken for granted. In the wake of death, he knew, he would always from here on consider this an indulgence of some sort. The death could not see this beautiful world such as he could. "There is only certain things as a doctor that I can do." He continued, voice lowered to a husky, gruff drawl. "But a large part of it is entirely up to Akito. He must sustain the will to live or else he will gradually deteriorate. It is happening right now, within these very walls. If the plaster could speak Shigure it would tell of the shell upstairs who spends his day slowly, absolutely and _utterly _wasting away. Mentally, he is unreachable and his body rejects the antibiotics I give him. Akito is slipping away from us and there is nothing more I can do to prevent it. All I can do... is watch."

"But why?!" Shigure practically shrieked, feeling more emotional at the impending prospect than he knew he should be. More than anything he was angry at Akito for hitching up the progression of his life; such as a tiny branch might snag the hem of your clothing and tug you back for a moment. Then you would have no choice but to waste time unhooking it and disdainfully go about your way, more annoyed than you were to begin with. What right did Akito have to snag a hold of him like this when everything was going so smoothly? He knew the thoughts were unfair but they were there in his mind just the same, shockingly human and childish. But there just the same. "What is it that's made him give up Hari? Explain to me."

Hatori lowered his head and sighed, knowing that his friend was not going to like what he was about to hear. Still, he wanted to know and he had a right too, even if it was something that would displease him. He turned to face Shigure, keeping his expression carefully neutral.

"I believe... that the catalyst itself may be none other than Tohru Honda." He said blatantly. 

Shigure's response was as to be expected. His face twisted from one side to the other, his upper lip quirking away to reveal one sharp canine. Both fists clenched into tight square balls.

"Don't you _dare _throw the blame on Tohru!" He growled, extending a finger to point towards Akito's bedroom. "That girl has done more for this family in a year than that asshole has done in nineteen!"

"Shigure keep your voice down." Hatori hissed, casting a prompting glance down the hallway that lead to Akito's room. "He's sleeping and is unaware that you're here. He will get angry if disturbed."

"Then let him be angry!" Shigure snapped, leaning forward so he closed the distance between himself and the doctor ever so slightly. His face was creased with tiny intricate lines that barely ever revealed themselves to the world, such was his humorous nature. "I won't allow anything to happen to Tohru as a result of _his _misery! Whether it be sending her away or erasing her memory, I refuse to let it happen! No matter what _his _orders might be." He jerked his head towards the hallway again as though he needed to reaffirm just who 'him' was. 

"Shigure, you have the circumstances all wrong." Hatori said patiently, rubbing his lame eye with the heel of his hand. The old wound became agitated so easily, especially when he was stressed. "Akito has no desire to cause Tohru any trouble. He is wasting away because his _guilt _is consuming him. Tohru enabled him to see the wrongs of his life and the revelation shocked him. So much so that he can barely look at his own reflection without trying to smash through the image of his face. He cries in his sleep Shigure... I've heard him crying out, fighting against God only knows what manner of awful nightmares that avail him and then vomiting upon waking. He cannot live with what he has done... so instead he chooses to let himself die."

"Ridiculous self pity..." The inu grumbled, raking a hand through his nape length hair. "He could just ask forgiveness and not have to suffer so, but no, he's too proud for that. He is content in his own selfish misery."

Hatori's face was impassive. _Hmm... that was another word he could use in place of indifferently. _"He cannot ask forgiveness Shigure, even if he wanted too."

"And why would that be exactly?"

"Selective mutism." Hatori replied, casting his eye downward toward the floor. There was a burn mark scalded into the wood right between his feet. Perhaps someone had knocked a candle over at some point. "Akito has lost his voice."

* * * * * * * * * * *

He awoke awash in sweat and tears. Bile was rising in the back of his throat and he reached for the bucket kept beside the bed for such occasions, vomiting violently once he had it positioned before his mouth. Hot tears sprang to his eyes as his throat burned and screamed in objection. Another meal he had been unable to keep down. Another dream he had been unable to prevent.

The Sohma family master placed the bucket back down and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. He was used to the abnormally constant illness, to being sick every day of his life since he had been a child. It had been a fact of life. Hmm... strange term to use that. A fact of 'life.' Honestly though... what life did he have? What life was there for one whom could barely carry his own petite weight around without thoroughly exhausting himself in the process? The definition of life itself was: _"the existence of the soul, something essential to the continued existence of something."_ Akito was well versed with the term. When he had been told that he was born essentially for the purpose of dying and in so doing, providing life, he had been too young to really understand what all these words meant. A vague memory of stretching upward on the crest of tippy-toes to tug at the corner of a dictionary that seemed to weigh more than he did. And a tiny little boy, no more than four sitting cross legged on the floor with the vast book in his minute hands, trailing a stubby finger along a page he had since observed a thousand times before. The meaning of life. The literal meaning. Because there was none alive who really knew the meaning of life, of existence itself.

Akito knew.

Maybe not everyone else's, but his meaning, the literal meaning of his life was something no book or no scientist could define. It was a meaning conjured years and years ago, by manner of who knew what. But the meaning itself was so very clear, though complex in its obviousness.

My meaning of life: "To give it up, to give to you. My gift, to my family. Death offered to sustain life. _That _is my purpose... alone.

__

'But why? Who decided it had to be that way?'

Akito rubbed at his forehead, ignoring the burning question that seared at his mind and had done so for weeks on end. Death, sickness, they were all he knew. This illness was a constant, unchanging continuity, something real and solid that he could keep control of, just as he kept control of the zodiac. 

But now... he had lost control utterly. Over himself, the sickness, his family. And it was frightening. It terrified him, that he did not have a solid grasp on these things anymore.

It meant only one inevitability.

That the curse was beginning to win.

Akito sat up slowly in bed, resting his throbbing head on the backboard and reached for the glass of water he kept on the mantle. His fingers were shaking severely and they spasmed, knocking the glass and sending water cascading down over the polished wood. Akito collapsed onto the mattress, tears of frustration burning in his eyes. To him, it was another sign that from here on in nothing was going to help him anymore. No one wanted to help him and it was his own sorry fault. And now... now he couldn't even help himself.

He thought back to his dream, his dream of memory. At least... he thought it was memory. Dreams were funny like that, the way they made you doubt and question yourself even after you were awake and free from their constricting shackles. The images, whether real or not had been of his childhood; a childhood he knew existed but couldn't remember, save for a few hazy images. None of which comforted him or gave him any reason to smile. No one could tell him, for no one else had been around to witness the first stages of his life.

When Akito had been left in the care of the Elder's of the Main House fourteen years ago; no one quite knew the particulars of his arrival. It was as though he simply appeared from the winter air, conceived of its cold fingers and frost bitten womb. No one knew the truth. It remained hidden in the past, shielded by lack of records, of memory and of plain old secrets.

It was these secrets that were slowly driving him insane.

With a slow pained effort, Akito managed to swing his body over the side of the bed. The wood floor was bitter beneath his feet and a shiver snaked its way up his spine as he searched with blind fingers beneath the bed for his cane. Once upon a time he had rarely a use for it, but now it was a despised necessity. Without it, he would collapse after three steps as he had painfully discovered. Once upon a time's were for the fairy tales and his life, whatever it was, sure as Hell was no fairy tale.

The wooden shaft quickly made acquaintance with his hand and he tilted it upwards, burying the narrow point into the floor, leaning all his weight on it. Finally, he was able to climb unsteadily to his feet and from there he made his way over to the window and gazed out. It was how he spent many a day when he was too ill to go outside. Watching silently from the large circular window as the world passed him by, mocking him because he would never be able to appreciate it. Never be able to feel happiness from all that it had to offer, that it would _never _offer.

Never... not ever. Because his destiny had been shaped and decided before he was born. From the moment he had taken that first blessed gasp of air, had tasted life in all it's innocent glory, it had already be ordained that he would die. Before he had even been given a name, before anyone could see how he would grow up to look, what color his eyes would be, or what his favorite book was. These were relevant issues, because all that mattered was his status; Family Master, Head of the Sohma family.

The God of the zodiac.

And the cruel fact of it was that he was not privileged to die like everyone else was; without knowing when, how, why or for what reason, oh no. He would die to protect a family who hated and despised him. Die young, sickly, weak and alone, from a curse that no one understood.

It was miserable knowing this. Even worse to be told as soon as you were able to understand articulate speech that you came into this world for one reason only. Not to live.

To die.

Deprived of happiness, bloated with pain, twisted by hatred. These were all words Akito Sohma used to describe his depraved state, though in reality he was much more complex than anyone possibly understood. Then even _he _understood. He had not known in the first place simply _why _he had hated so fiercely, _why _he was so possessive over his zodiac. He had spent years not knowing; not caring and simply living based on these emotions. Acting on the desire to try and quell the anger within. Anything to make that terrible pain go away, if only for a second. But no. Each action only worked to increase and feed the aggression, helping it to grow and flourish into something even more putrid.

A monster.

Then into the picture stepped Tohru Honda. Ah, so innocent and simplistic in appearance, with no other desire but to help others reach their happiness. And it wasn't like she was manipulative or anything either, which Akito found surprising. In every action a person produced, were they not intending for some positive consequence of it, to be rewarded for doing good? Tohru didn't seem that way, no matter how much he scrutinized her from beneath a raised brow and haughty expression. She was genuine, or something. Her presence was a healing hand that she extended to all those who were scarred and hurt. 

She was perfect. Perfect to test the zodiac's loyalty and this reason alone was why Akito had allowed her to stay. When she offered them happiness, so sublime and supreme and then turned from the family, as they all inevitably did, then Yuki and Kyou would _finally _understand. They would all see that he, Akito, was right and turn back to him. Kyou and Yuki were the estranged ones who adamantly refused to accept his role as their ruler and with this girl as an example the thought to change that; to break them in once and for all. Then, _the entire_ zodiac would be within his control. The bond would be even stronger and as a result, the control itself. He would let them see for themselves that it was futile to believe in lasting happiness. No one from outside the Sohma family could understand it's dark heart, no one. The zodiac was... _precious _to Akito and it was his responsibility to protect them from the scrutiny of the outside world. The evil stares. The cruel whispers. To make them understand what hatred waited for them should they slip up, to teach them so they would not hope without reason, so that their grief... would not kill them.

He could not allow them to suffer as he had...

__

'Akito, right now you're alive aren't you?'

Akito sighed faintly and placed his fingertips on the cool glass. Beyond it, a small white bird rested serenely on the branches of the cherry blossom tree, watching him. Watching his brain tick.

Tohru Honda.

She had been so different. So rudely different to all the others. At first Akito had thought her too stupid to know what wretched web she had thrown herself into. That it would inevitably lead to a confrontation with the web's owner; the dark spider of the Sohma family, should she draw too much attention to herself. But she had been content to thrash and despite all Akito's subterfuge, revealing Yuki's past, revealing Kyou for what he was, full out threats, she remained constant and caring. Not to him, but to the others that _were _his. That he had protected all those years by hiding them away from the cruel world in his web, concealing them within the tightly wound cocoon's that he spun around each of them. Blinding them to heartache. Or so he had thought.

When Tohru had come to see him that day, the emotions, the untainted jealousy leapt to the surface. Until then, Akito had been able to control it, hide it behind a false mask of cool politeness and halfhearted smiles. Inside, his guts twisted, his blood boiled as one by one his family, his zodiac had been taken from him by this... this... girl! This ordinary, stupid, ugly girl that stumbled across their secret and became one of them. ... _Became one of them? _She could _never _be one of them!! She had never known pain the way they had; had never suffered such as they- such as _he _had! He could no longer stand her pretentious niceties, her kind tolerance, her understanding. She was supposed to be nothing more then damn proof of the world's cruelty towards people like them. But instead she became their savour. Their protection against... him.

Him... he that was born to die for them, to protect them from the world. It was unbelievable... he could not fathom why they would choose her over him when he sacrificed _everything _for them. He couldn't see—

But Akito knew that he envied her; envied her place in his zodiac's hearts, the place where he was meant to belong but didn't.

So that day... he lost control for the first time in a long time. If she could not understand what pain was, then hell be damned he would _show _her! He would _make _her scream until her eyes bled tears! He would _make _her suffer the way he had; he would _force _her away from the Sohma family if she would not go willingly. But she had not yielded. Her will was as strong, or perhaps stronger than his own. She just continued to talk soothingly, trying to calm the anger within him, whilst his fingers gripped her hair ever tightening. Shigure and Yuki were trying to restrain him and Hatori crouched nearby, hesitating in making a public defiance of the family master who had taken his eye. When Akito had screamed at him to erase her memories though, he had stared ahead blankly without any affirmation to the command. He didn't make a move to do as he had been told, a command that was all too familiar too him in hearing and carrying out. That was when Akito knew.

Control was no longer his. He had lost it, to this ordinary, simple, innocent girl. One whom he thought he could play with and then dispose of when he was done, like a child's toy. But she had instead played him.

She _made _him see, after all these years that what he was doing was _wrong_, but that it was okay to hurt. Just not to make _others _hurt. She _made _him see that he was still alive.

__

Alive. "_Having life; living. In existence."_

He was still here. He was still _alive._

Such a simple notion, so obvious, but more meaningful to him then anyone understood. They were the words he wanted to hear, had needed to hear. And it was these very words that had prompted him to release his hold on her straight, dark hair. For the first time in his life, Akito showed mercy because _he _had been shown mercy. In all his days of living, the only one who had ever acknowledged his pain, the deep agonizing, constantly knawing pain in his heart, had been this _girl. _This ordinary... simple... innocent, girl.

Tohru Honda.

__

'I don't know what your curse is but... I'm happy. I'm happy I know you. ...Akito.'

He thought about her a lot, wondering how she dealt with her own troubles the pain she never showed. She mentioned that her mother had died. His had too, both his parents had, but he had been too young to remember them. For her, the pain was still so close. In that case, why was she so cheerful? What right did she have to be happy, if she understood pain? _How _did she do it? Akito wished he knew.

Her smile was venomous to him. Venomous... yet enchanting. Because he wished that he could smile like that, to feel the happiness actually form the quirk of his lips rather than the conscious thought when he felt that a smile was appropriate. How long had it been since he had ever truly been happy? ...How miserable that he could not even remember. It must have been a long time ago for him to forget...

__

Or was it?

Being doomed made being happy so... difficult. Tohru had won without even playing his game and now as the loser, Akito had resigned himself to the gallows.

He had lost everything.

Now, his body was no longer even his. It belonged to the sickness.

There was nothing left to do but simply... give up.

After Tohru's visit, Akito had stopped speaking. It had been three long months since he had spoke a conscious word and it was only during his sleep, _supposedly, _that he ever spoke. He wasn't even sure he could do it if he tried. Not that he wanted to.

All he wanted was to hide away from the world. Hide away and die in peace. Like a wounded animal that took itself out, away from the herd to die, so did Akito wish to disappear into the darkness. He did not want to fade away infront of them as they watched. He did not want their appalling sympathy.

He wanted to die.

At long last... he was ready to die.

As if sensing his anguish, the bird dropped eloquently from its perch and took to the air, winging it's way towards the trees of the surrounding woods. Akito watched it go with his usual sense of longing. How he wanted that freedom. To fly away from it all; pain, jealousy, pity, even the desire to be free itself. _Soon enough... _he told himself, pressing his forehead to the glass. _Soon enough you can go... soon it'll all be over_.

The sun was sitting high over the tree's, shining bright rays of light through the jagged green branches, twisting them into irregular clumps with no discerning mass. The light that managed to escape through each patch threw erratic shadows on the ground. A flutter of white against the trees drew Akito's attention and he watched as the bird flew down to perch on something. He took another look, wondering if his sleep heavy eyes were playing tricks on him.

It was difficult to tell at a distance, but it looked like there was a person standing beneath one of the foremost tree's, cradling the bird in the palm of it's hand. He figure appeared masculine and was wearing garments that blended in with the surrounding shadows, rendering him almost invisible. As Akito watched, the man turned his head upwards and seemed to gaze right at him. He stared back, unfazed but curious none the less. He continued to watch that very spot even as the figure turned and stepped further into the woods, swallowed by the thick copse of trees. A quick flash of chestnut hair in the afternoon sun and then... nothing. Nothing but the bird flying back towards the cherry blossom tree and settling onto it's mandatory roost, ruffling it's feathers quite disdainfully. As if it had been called away for nothing.

Called away...

Akito was still staring at that area of the woods, when the bedroom door slowly slid open. Kureno Sohma entered slowly, moving with the trained ease of one who had spent most of his life walking respectfully. His slightly pointed face was appropriately devoid of expression that may have appeared rude if one didn't know that he had never learned how to express normal emotion. The 26 year old boy was agoraphobic, well, mildly anyway. His symptoms were such that he could not be outside in the open air or else he would lapse into a series of fits. Buildings were of no issue, but if he could see that there were on walls around him the results could be disastrous. Most believed that this was phobia could be explained by Akito's need to keep him isolated from the other zodiac members and constantly at his side as a servant. That he had never been given the chance conceive his own perception of the outside world and his fear was nothing more than a concoction of second hand opinions and deception fed to him by Akito. Whatever the case, Kureno never offered an explanation. He seemed content to spend his days going about his duties without neither complaint nor conversion. He was a complete mystery to the rest of the family and he only ever spoke to the master or Hatori. Indeed he seemed a little oblivious to the other's existence. That or he was frightened of them. Who knew? Only him.

Kureno tilted his upper body down to draw equal with the height of his waist and then straightened up slowly, showing Akito respect as family master. Then he spoke.

"Akito..." He said blandly, his statement lacking question. "Is there anything you need?"

The voice wasn't exactly expressionless. If Akito had to compare it to anything, he would have say it was similar in quality of that to a shy little boy who was afraid of being reprimanded for something he didn't do. His voice never rose, but occasionally withered so that it became barely a whisper on a whisper. A breath with letters of each word mixed into it like the complex ingredients of a soup, flowing from his mouth gently and without any sort of opinion in it. Kureno had learnt, long ago that to be opinionated was to invite punishment unto yourself. Thoughts of that nature were to remain concealed behind thin lips, dark eyes and an unemotional disposition. If Hatori was as cold as winter, than Kureno was as apathetic as autumn; a thick, thoroughly worn shield that couldn't be penetrated. And even if you could pick beneath the surface, there would be a million and one other defenses spread out before you like a great battalion. Kureno guarded himself well.

Despite being a complete enigma, Akito never doubted Kureno's loyalty. The boy had been with him since he was a child, a playmate as well as servant. But even though their past together wound back through many years, Akito was not certain that Kureno felt anything towards him other than some obligatory duty. Locked up his entire life, with no purpose other than to serve. But then again... was it any different to what he himself had suffered? Kureno had been given to him as a gift. As though he were some mere plaything to bide his time with, until the day of his death. And when that happened... what would be Kureno's purpose, if the one he was born to serve had died?

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Akito gestured without turning, to the bucket and spilt glass. Kureno turned his head sharply to look, his movements noticeably bird like. Undoubtedly so, because he was the rooster of the zodiac.

"I will clean it up immediately, sir." He said whimsically, walking over to the bucket and bending down to pick it up. "One minute."

He left the room, taking both the glass and the bucket with him. Akito limped back over to the bed and sat down, facing out towards the window. He wondered if he had really seen the figure out by the trees or if it was a trick of light or even another illusion of the curse. It had thrown everything else at him, why not manifestations? But something... he wasn't sure what, told him that what he had seen was not some hallucination conjured up by a sickly mind or the dense shadows of the trees' arms. He had felt eyes upon him; he had felt like he was being watched.

There was someone out there. Trespassing. He would have to alert Hatori.

The door slid open and Kureno reentered with a clean bucket, a new glass of water and a cleaning cloth. He put the bucket down beside the bed, making sure it sat perfectly between the rings of condensation left by the previous bucket and then moved around to hand the glass to Akito. The family master drank quickly, eager to wash the bitter after taste of bile from his mouth. Kureno nodded once at him, smiling gently, before he set to work wiping up the spilled water consistently and cheerlessly. Occasionally he would reach up to brush back a strand of his long brown fringe whenever it obscured his vision, but that was the only subtle variation in his task. Akito watched this meaningless chore, feasting on the movements and the healthy body as though in some small way it could compensate for not being able to work this way himself. And for the first time he wondered just what the man was thinking.

__

Hatred? Apathy? Anything at all? What was going on behind those sallow brown eyes? Did he feel anything for Akito, other than the learned desire to serve him? Who was he?

Really?

Why did he continually ask himself these questions when he knew there would be no answer? Somehow... Akito knew it was to keep some small part of himself sane, to keep slick and oiled the tiny cogs and wheels that were his delicate mind in order. To keep them running and never failing. He was scared to think of what might happen if he ever laxed in these mind games, these language gymnastics as he liked to refer to them. What if his mind were to one day simply crack and darkness would pour in from all sides and consume him? Would he even really be himself any more?

It was so frightening to feel that despair and Akito could feel a lump forming in his throat; a tight little constriction that wedged firmly into place just behind his Adam's Apple. But the lump didn't fade along with his thoughts. It remained and it blocked every gasp of air from entering, making his lungs screech with the desperate need for oxygen. Then there was simply the absence of the lump, but there was no breath. He couldn't breathe! Something unseen was choking him, hands of no origin tight around his neck, crushing his windpipe. He struggled to draw anything into his lungs but no air came. His eyes rolled and his heart started beating erratically against the wall of his chest, trying to break through the muscle and sinew. Akito knew he was hyperventilating, knew that he had to try and calm down or else he'd have an anxiety attack. Somehow he knew it was a little late for this. He was already half way into a panic. His mind was screaming at him; '_You're gonna die! You're gonna die! You're gonna die!!' _repeatedly shrieking the words around and around inside of his cranium as though it were the inside of a washing machine. And Akito believed them. He _was _going to die, here and now!!

"K—" He hated himself for speaking that single letter and hated even more that the rest of the name would have followed, if he could have drawn enough breath to speak. "K—K-uh!! K-UH!!" It sounded like an obscure hiccup, the kind you would suffer as a result of indigestion. But Kureno understood. Having seen this situation many a time and even suffering through it himself, he knew what to do and immediately abandoned his task for a more important one. His hand was inside one of the bedside drawers before anyone could blink. He rummaged for a second and then withdrew a long neatly pressed paper bag, kept there for such occasions. Kureno jammed his opposite hand inside, separating the sides and approached Akito, gently guiding him back onto the bed. He placed one arm securely beneath his head and placed the paper bag over his mouth, leaning down against him to contain his violent thrashing.

"Tilt your head back Akito." He said calmly, pushing the younger mans delicate chin upwards. Akito desperately clutched the base of the paper bag, crying as he continued to thrash and breathe all at once. "We must clear your airways. Don't be afraid, I'm right here. It's okay."

Akito wanted to scream had he been able to. _He doesn't understand what this feels like!! My chest is going to explode! I'm going to die! I'm going to die! I'm going to die..._

His breathing grew harsher, back heaving with the effort of trying to control his respiration. His toes curled into hard digits, his fingernails tearing into the base of the bag and imbedding small pieces of paper beneath each white cuticle. Still Kureno held him down, using his free hand now to stroke his head whilst he continued to speak those awful, wonderful calming words.

"You must stay calm. There is air enough, you just have to calm down to accept it Akito. Breathe in... feel the air in your lungs. It's there Akito, watch as I breathe. See? Here it is... just breathe now sir... good, you're doing fine. Good boy... easy does it now..."

It took a full minute for Akito to relax long enough to start breathing normally. Kureno made sure that he was fully calm before gently extracting the paper bag from between his tightly clenched fingers. The blessed air was sweet agony on his aching lungs, sweet release from the sharp pain. He continued to breathe in slow successions, gradually feeling his toes unfurl and his fingers lax out of shape.

Kureno gave a slight nod and released him, sitting up on the bed and wiping his forehead with his shirtsleeve. He had been perspiring the entire time. Once he was ready he bent down to retrieve the cloth he'd dropped, swiftly mopping up the remaining mess and finally standing up to gaze down at the shaking, shivering boy.

"Just rest there for a little while." He said soothingly, picking up the empty glass left on the dressing table. "I'll see to it that Hatori comes in to check on you. Though I think you'll be fine for the moment. Page me, if you have any further need of me."

He moved to walk away and before he even knew that he was doing it, Akito lashed out and snagged the corner of Kureno's shirt. He buried his face against the material, shaking his head briskly like an innocent child pleading with a parent not to be left alone after a nightmare. Only this nightmare came to him every second he was awake and he knew not how to escape it. All he knew was that he was still terrified. Still scared that if he was to be left alone for even an instant, then the curse would try to claim him again.

He didn't want to be alone. Not in life, not in death.

He pulled Kureno backward towards the bed and encouraged him to sit down. The rooster responded dutifully, sitting with his hands folded in his lap and eyes deterred away from Akito's line of sight. A sign of respect, of the pecking order. But Akito wasn't interested in any of that. He moved closer, fingering the buttons on Kureno's shirt, nuzzling his forehead into his shoulder. Kureno swallowed very noticeably, though he did his best to conceal it.

"Akito... is there something else that is troubling you?" He asked a little stoically, glancing quickly from the corner of his eye. The family master shuffled closer still, gripping the shirt with one hand whilst the other roamed up to nestle across the crown of Kureno's head. His actions seem guided by some unknown force and though he knew they were not familiar with the way he usually acted, he sensed something within each movement that seemed uncanny... like deja vu. A memory that dangled just tantalizingly out of reach like a carrot tied to a stick before an inquisitive donkey. Akito could almost just reach it...

His fingers wound around a strand of Kureno's short hair, twisting it over his nail and savoring the feel. He rested up against him; head tucked under his chin in child like submission and legs curled up close to his chest. Kureno could feel his heart speed up, not from Akito being so close or touching him in this way, but from the similarity of his posture. It was so... familiar... It made his stomach churn and an unprecedented sickness seemed to well up within him. Akito didn't even seem aware of who Kureno was anymore. He was like a puppet, a mere representation of another that may have sat where he sat a long time ago. In another life time... in another world...

Akito rubbed his cheek against the curve of Kureno's chest.

"Lucky..." He whispered.

Kureno's eyes bulged.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Shigure and Hatori glanced up in shock as Kureno barreled out of Akito's room, trying to pry the family master off of him. They stared in fascinated horror at the un-thought of scene before them; Akito was trying to wrap his arms around Kureno's chest who in turn was gently trying to push him away. But his actions were frenzied, desperate. Spittle flew from his lips and he seemed terribly frightened.

Shigure was the first to speak. "What in the world—"

"GET HIM OFF ME!!" Kureno yelled in response and Shigure jerked back, shocked more than anything to hear Kureno shouting. He was usually such a sedate fellow.

Hatori stepped toward the hallway, trying to decide on what course of action to take. He couldn't understand what was going on. The situation was... bizarre. That was the only way to describe it.

"What's going on here?" He finally settled on. Kureno, trying to tear Akito's hands off of him, stared directly into Hatori's face, his expression aghast as though he had seen a ghost. His eyes were widened to the point that they nearly burst from the sockets and the veins in his neck stood out as obviously as the lines on a road map. It was horrifying...

"Help me!!" Kureno hissed and gave Akito an almighty shove in the chest. The family master slid to the ground, his hands snagging at Kureno's belt and holding on tight. The rooster slapped at his fingers as though Akito were some foul leper hounding for money. It was a confusing display. Out of all of them, Kureno would be the last to ever raise a hand in harm against Akito. And now, he was shunning him.

Hatori grew bold and stormed forward, long bangs swishing from the abruptness of his movements. Shigure was slower to follow, only because he was uncertain as to whether or not they should interfere. Something just wasn't right, apart from the obviousness. Something he couldn't quite place his finger on. It was almost as though... someone else was hanging off of Kureno. Someone who wasn't Akito.

__

"Fuck you..."

A voice peeled from Akito's lips like a sticker, the moldy dryness akin to that of a withered dusty corpse. If the dead could posses a voice. Hatori froze as a horrendous odor suddenly washed over him from nowhere and he retched, recognizing the putrid waft of human excrement and something like rot. Mould and time, that each had their way with a human body. Shigure wasn't close enough to smell it, but he heard the voice and halted in his footsteps, his shoe toe trailing along the ground as he stalled in mid-step.

Kureno was shuddering, gagging from the stench and still trying to remove Akito from him. The boy slowly looked up and his eyes focused on each of them in turn. Nothing about his physical appearance had changed, and this somehow scared them more. 

"_Always taking... always... never giving back what you have taken... animals... beasts... cursed creatures..." _The voice from Akito said and then, inexplicably it was gone. All that was left was the dark haired boy himself, the vessel. Tears shone wet on his face as he scratched at the sides of Kureno's shirt with his long nails, pleading with him silently. And then...

"Lucky..." He whispered.

Hatori visibly jumped at the sound of Akito's voice. He straightened up, free now of the crippling smell and gazed down at the petite family master. Kureno too gazed at him, though his expression was not one of pity. It was nothing.

"I'm. Not. Him." He stated firmly and then shrugged Akito's hands off of him. 

For a moment there was merely silence. Shigure took another step but did so in respect of the quiet. His large brown eyes seemed entranced with the scene before him, trying ahead of time to figure out just what was happening. Hatori was tense, sensing a reaction stemming up inside of the family master. He wasn't wrong either.

A minute passed before Akito's face twisted into the familiar mask of rage. It happened like a ripple; the stone dropped in that became the catalyst, each tiny wave fanning out in his mind until it reached his face and formed a tsunami of anger. The need for comfort was being replaced by that usual desire to hurt. 

__

So Kureno feared him as well? Hated him as well? He had pretended to be loyal and trust worthy all those years because he too was afraid? Just like all the others... _TRAITOR!! _Akito wanted to scream, but with no way of saying it, he allowed his actions to speak. He snapped forward, slapping one hand against the boys' throat and curling his fingers around the slim curve of his neck. Kureno's bottom lip trembled and he whimpered audibly, closing his eyes in fear.

Shigure reacted. As soon as he saw that hand twitch he was moving, dashing toward the pair as quickly as he could. He had to shove Hatori out of the way who still seemed frozen in shock, his mind desperately trying to interpret the situation whilst threatening to cave in on itself. There was no time for that, Shigure knew. If he stopped to think, the fear might have become so overwhelming that he would simply collapse to the floor, shaking and shivering at the implication of what that voice could be. What it meant.

The thoughts alone were too horrible.

So he ran. He ran straight at Akito's wrist, aiming for that visible patch of pale against red sleeves. His hand closed around it, feeling the sharp bone digging into the palm of his hand and tried to wretch it away. It was a foolish idea. Akito's nails dragged and dug into Kureno's neck, hooking deep into the skin as Shigure yanked. Kureno cried out, grasping at Akito's hand and trying to remove the nails that were drawing blood. They were sharp enough to cut directly in and he could feel them piercing him. The pain was terrible.

Shigure tried another tactic of grabbing Akito's shoulders and trying to pick him up and move him away. Kureno came with him, sobbing and choking. Akito raised his free hand and slapped him hard, the blow almost taking the roosters' head off. Kureno stumbled and tripped, the nails tearing themselves free from his neck as he landed hard on the floor. The wind was knocked from his lungs. He bled.

"Please Akito!" He managed to sob, tears streaming down his thin face. "I didn't mean to upset you! But I'm not who you want me to be!! I won't lie to you!! ...Please don't hurt me for my honesty..."

__

You hurt me you traitorous fowl!! Akito's mind screamed as he struggled against Shigure's grip. He managed to kick Kureno in the head whilst his legs flailed, sending the older man rolling across the floor. He hit a closed door and tumbled into an adjacent room, face pressed up against a gap in the wooden floorboards. Something shimmered distinctly in the darkness.

Hatori finally spurred himself into action and rushed to Kureno's side. He placed both hands on the other mans shoulder, asking hurriedly if he was all right. Kureno coughed in reply and gave a slight nod. His eye fixed on that thing below the floorboards. 

Shigure meanwhile seemed to be physically wrestling Akito back into his room, the latter who was kicking and thrashing to the best of his strength. The door was still open so he was able to back inside and toss, for lack of a better word, Akito onto the bed. After this he bolted for the doorway, barely avoiding a glass as it shattered into the wall beside his head.

Akito screamed hoarse guttural noises after him; mentally damning him to any and every hell that ever existed.

__

I hate you all!! He thought, sinking to the floor and covering his face with his hands. _I hate you all, because you have no love for me._

His shoulders shook in silent convulsions and for the first time ever, he prayed to die. He begged God, the Buddha, O'yama, whoever the Hell would listen, to end his suffering and the suffering he had caused others, once and for all.

__

I'm ready to die.

Do you hear that God? I am ready to die.

*

Shigure rubbed at his forehead as he returned to the room where Kureno lay. Hatori was gently trying to help him stand. Shigure shook his head as he saw the mess the poor roster's face was. One eye was swollen shut and his nose was split down the center, pouring blood down his face like there was no tomorrow. Not broken, but not exactly pleasant either.

"So... what was all that about?" Shigure asked as they made their way out into the main area of the house. Kureno gazed at him through his one open eye and then gave a soft shake of his head, lowering his face as though he needed to address Shigure with respect too.

"Ask no questions... and I'll tell you no lies." He said, spitting as blood ran into his mouth. "Forgive me Master Shigure but... it is a personal matter."

Shigure raised an eyebrow. "Well... okay if you say so. Can't say I even begin to understand what you mean but—"

"That'll do Shigure." Hatori said and his tone was serious enough to indicate that the conversation should cease immediately. "Kureno, you are a mess. Let's go to my office and I will clean you up."

Kureno glanced back and forth between his two cousins and though his face resembled little more than a mutilated hamburger, he managed to twist his expression into that of a serious one.  
"Please don't inform any of the other family members about what has happened here today." He said sternly, looking particularly hard at Shigure. It was true that he didn't exactly approve of the inu who lived away from the main estate and allowed the cat to live under his roof. Shigure blinked back at him as though butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. "This is something... that need not concern anyone. ...Just yet." He added as an afterthought.

Shigure scratched his head gingerly. "Well... I don't know if something like this is going to be easy to keep quiet. What went on back there makes me think that something is going on that concerns the family as a whole."

"No one is to know!!" Kureno cried desperately and he rushed forward to grab at Shigure's shirt, looking him in the eye with some of the familiar jittery nervousness. Though he was ashamed to admit it, Shigure immediately felt calmer, know that Kureno was acting like he normally did, not with that calm surety of knowing something no one else knew, doo da, doo da. That frightened him more than the wild eyed man he saw before him now and he had to be honest; he did kind of manipulate the conversation to get that persona to pop back up again. And now that it was here, he felt better once more.

Shigure made a peace sign with his fingers. "If you say so!" He chirped with a wide smile as if there was nothing wrong in the world. Kureno visibly relaxed and gave a nod of approval.

"Then all is well." He said, moving back over to Hatori and taking his arm. Just before they stepped over to the door however, he paused and turned back to the inu. "Um... thankyou for helping me back there." His cheeks flushed red and he gave a little bow.

Shigure waved a hand. "Always glad to be of service!"

"Shigure." Hatori said sharply. Shigure looked at him, both eyebrows raised to indicate observance. "That... _problem _of Ayame's you wished to discuss with me... I'm afraid I must delay it in light of other things."

Shigure sweatdropped. "I... uh, don't know if Aya's going to take anything as an excuse. You know what he's like..." He said a little fondly. Then smiled. "Never mind! I'll take his mind off of it one way or the other."

"Are the two of you a couple?" Kureno asked gently. His voice lacked judgement but seeped with a profound curiosity. Shigure nodded.

"Two months now."

Kureno considered this for a while and his face widened into a brief, calculating smile. "About time." He muttered, allowing Hatori to lead him away by the arm. The dragon chuckled at his response, delighted by it. Shigure beamed after them as the door slid shut but in the silence that followed, he found himself at a loss at what to do. He had come here with only Ayame in mind, but now Akito and Kureno both weighed heavy on his thoughts. Both men had been ordained destinies that neither one of them wanted and now they had come to blows, something he had never thought would happen. Not ever. All this suffering without purpose. When would it end? Would it _ever _end?

And more importantly, why did it begin in the first place?

These thoughts were getting him nowhere, so Shigure checked his watch, moving into a sunny patch of the room so that he could see the numbers. When it came to reading he was pretty much useless without his glasses. 3:10. Ayame would be expecting him back soon. Still, before he left Shigure thought he should do his bit and quickly check up on Akito. For three months the Sohma master had been silent and pensive, a comparison uncanny to that of a spider preparing to strike. And now it had... but it was unusual tactics for Akito, however irregular his violent episodes had been in the past. Something in his emotions had triggered this attack and Shigure couldn't help but wonder what. He had always been marginally close to the family master but lately, he hadn't been able to understand his reasoning at all. It was as though he had... lost the will to care. There was no clear line between right and wrong anymore and he lashed out without any concern for the consequences. 

Shigure buried his hands in his pockets and walked slowly up the stairs towards Akito's room. The door was still slightly ajar and broken glass was scattered around the frame, glittering in the sunlight that streaked in from a nearby window. Shigure carefully side stepped it and pushed the door open, keeping one arm positioned in front of his face in case Akito wasn't finished with his tantrum.

No attack came so Shigure risked sticking his head into the room. The family master lay curled on the bed, legs drawn up tight to his chest. He seemed to be holding something to his heart but since he was facing away from the door, Shigure had no idea what it could be. He did notice however the sobs that echoed around the large, cold room and the way Akito's shoulders shook. It was something Shigure had never expected to see in his life.

The hostile Akito, the dark heart of the Sohma family... crying.

* 

__

When Hatori was done patching him up, Kureno made his way back to that room. He crouched down and examined the gap he had found. His hand was just thin enough to reach inside...

Author note: Ooh cliffhanger, cliffhanger, cliffhanger! What will happen next time? Not telling! Hah, gonna have to wait to see yourselves! Anyway R and R if you will! (And please no flames! I hate making that request but they really hurt my feelings and I'm a big sook!)


	3. Tainted Spring

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Born to be Broken.

Disclaimer: Don't own it and I never will. I think I have to go and cry now.****

****

Note: Uh, probably some warnings need to be in place for this chapter. Mildly citrusy, in the totally bizarre sense. You'll see what I mean. Um... implied sorta violation of a child, kinda hints to masturbation... not very good at this am I? Oh well, it'll make sense as you read I'm sure. And for the record, readers I'd just like to say something: Now I must admit when I see a fic that says 'Contains an OC pairing' I run for my life. Usually OC's are Mary Sue self-insertations of the author herself. (See also: Tohru.) This fic _does _have an OC and I know that scares people and puts them off. I'm the same mostly. But let me say something before you hit the 'Back' icon. First off; not a Mary Sue character. Very flawed, very imperfect, very MALE and very 'Not me.' I'm not a man for one thing and the thought of inserting myself into a Fruits Basket fic of my own is horrible to behold. This story just calls for an OC but understand that this character is not a representation of myself or anyone I know in any way shape or form. No Mary-Sueing her tonight ladies and gents. Just give it a shot and don't be put off by my OC. Try and enjoy the fic for what I've made it. Did I mention the character's MALE and therefore not one of those evil female Mary Sue's? Yes? Well that's good. Anyhoo... with that out of the way, read on!

** __**

"There is a good way to die, and a right time to do it. An odd thought for this time of year -- this is the point where the world has meandered back into spring, back into life. The sun is pulling fresh green from the ground again. An odd time to think about death, but as good time as ever to die."  
- James Lileks, columnist

How many family masters had slept in that very room, had been disturbed by it and had never asked to have the problem rectified?

Akito knew it shouldn't have bothered him as much as it should. After all, what was a squeaky floorboard in light of other things? But it _did _bother him, though he couldn't quite pinpoint why. He himself must have walked over it a thousand and one times on his way to the window, creating the friction that pulsed a creak throughout the floor. Yet now of all times, it was bugging him.

He gazed down at the patch of floor before him, cocking his head. His un-brushed hair swayed to one side of his face, framing his chin almost immaculately. He felt like one of those old fashioned Sheriff's from a cowboy movie, weighing up an opponent with nary a movement other than that of his head and eyes. _You make your move partner and I'll make mine. Squeak in my presence, will ya? Your funeral, buckaroo._

Akito's fist tightened around the knarled handle of his staff, fingernails scratching against the wood. There was blood under his nails, lining the cuticle like a thin pencil line. Akito knew he would have to scrub deep to remove it, that or cut his nails off.

He would try scrubbing first.

The family master purposefully traced around the floorboard, examining it with his never wavering expression of distrust. It was a piece of wood, yet he felt as though it were mocking him somehow. He raised his foot and gently pressed it down over the panel, adding the weight of his body behind it. He felt the subtle pressure as it sunk down even with the other floorboards, creaking as the fine cut lines scraped against each other. Akito examined it, picking out minute details.

It was a different color. Old... no doubt the wood was older than he was. Though... perhaps not as old as the other floorboards... they were eternally brown, so dark that they were almost black. Yet this board had a tinge of yellow to it. Youth still lingered within it. Age had not had its way with it.

What caused floorboards to squeak? Akito wondered, as he pulled his foot away, causing yet another creak as the panel raised again to its stubborn position. Sometimes it was due to wood shrinking. That could happen with age couldn't it? But this floorboard was newer than the others, of that he was sure. Had someone replaced a collapsing board with this one and made it too large? It didn't feel stable when he trod on it. The floor held him up faithfully, but this one sank beneath him as though it was too thin or too weak to support him. Its cry was very loud and definitive. Akito couldn't help but think that he had been drawn to notice it for a reason. Nineteen years in this room and now did this inconsequential little thing become such a besetment to him.

He would get someone to repair it.

... Was there really any point? Were the dead bothered by floorboards and squeaks when they had passed on? Perhaps that would be the one good deed he would be remembered for. Getting the floorboard fixed. The next family master would stand in that very room, gazing out the window like he had done a thousand and one times and never be bothered by a tiresome creak as he or she made their way back over to the bed to lay their head down to sleep. They would be unaware that it was the one who came before them, a boy named Akito Sohma, who had ensured that they could live their short, _pointless _little life without the added annoyance of one squeaky floorboard. But there in itself would be the sweet truth and he would have done that. Him.

It would be his mark left in this world, as proof of his presence once here before his memory was swept aside into oblivion as were those who came before him.

Akito considered. He stepped on the board. It squeaked.

Perhaps... this was someone's mark? A mark of one who came before him? Yes that may just be! Maybe years before in this room, a previous Sohma master knelt on the floor and with some tool in hand had pried an old floorboard away and replaced it. Perhaps he or she had made it too large; to serve that it might cry when it was stepped on. A different color so that it would stand out. And he or she would have stood back, wiped their arm on their too long sleeve and congratulated themselves on leaving this tiny, subtle mark behind so that they might never be forgotten.

__

If so, then what is your name? Akito asked this faceless person with more than a little bitterness in his thoughts. _Here is your mark, but where are you? Those who plant the tree do not remain to see it grow now do they? I read that in a book once. It was Irish. It makes perfect sense if you ask me, you stupid fool. If this is indeed your mark, then why do I not know your name? Why are you gone without any proof that you were ever here other than this creaky, trivial floorboard? Why am I here alone with no evidence that I ever came into this world from a family of mothers and fathers, grandparents and ancestors that came before me?_

WHY AM I HERE ALONE?!!

Though he was angry, there was some small comfort in his pointless pondering. If indeed a previous Sohma master had done this, then it was some small scrap of safety. Safety... comfort... and simply because it made him feel as though he was not the only one who had ever felt this way. Who beat their family members, those they was supposed to love not hate, who was not even allowed the small privilege of understanding, of human compassion.

They had all stood alone in this room. They had all gazed out that window, at the cherry blossom tree and resented life for going by without them.

But... had they all lost themselves, as he just had?

Akito didn't want to think about it. He couldn't really. There wasn't much to draw upon and his memory of the event that had occurred outside in the hallway was veiled by that part of his mind that did not belong to him. He hated it. He hated that presence inside of his head that had at some point wormed it's way in and thrown a thin blanket over what parts it wished to hide from Akito. That would tease and taunt him with tantalizing glances every once in a while, before cruelly hiding them again.

He remembered beating Kureno. That, he had done out of his own crazed incentive. Something he was not proud of, but something he had done to reestablish control when he felt it being pried from his own ever-loosening fingers. Something he needed to prove. To them? To himself? Who knew really. That was a matter of opinion.

But what had happened before he had lashed out? Akito knew he should remember, but he didn't. And _that _was what really bothered him.

He didn't like being jerked around. It really made him kind of mad.

Akito moved around to the bed and picked up the picture frame that he had left there. The glass was slightly smeared with tears and he wiped them away in disgust. He hated crying. That too pissed him off. It was a sign of weakness, of a helpless emotion people elicited when they were unable to train their feelings to within the confines of their ability to cope. At this point in his life, Akito thought he had himself pretty well trained. But... when Shigure had thrown him inside of his room, he felt such overwhelming emotions wash throughout him that his own barriers had been unable to hold them back. How could you deal with that? With being alone, always? Forever?

__

Only... Always...

... Where did that come from? Those weren't his thoughts, Akito was sure. It sounded like a saying. He must have read it once.

He looked at the picture inside the grasp of the frame and cleaned the glass with his sleeve, drying it. It wasn't a very good picture; an old newspaper clipping that had been yellowed around the edges. But it was the only picture he had of his mother. The _only _one.

The idea of the tragic Sohma family master had been overdone to death, Akito knew. And he wasn't trying to prove that fact to anyone, but occasionally he couldn't help but feel sorry for the whole sordid situation. Not only for himself; it sucked for those before him and those that would come after him too.

Family Master's were not allowed to reflect on the past, therefore their parents photo's were burned and all their personal defects destroyed. Akito couldn't even remember the way his mother looked from memory alone and his only reminder was this one newspaper article he had been able to save before it's destruction. He couldn't even remember what the column had been about, but he had been told by the family elders that his mother had been a songwriter and though she never actually sang any of her own songs, (outside out of the house that is) she was secured an infamous reputation. This perhaps had been the outline of the article. Akito only knew her name, because it was mentioned in the caption beneath the photo.

Tamiko. Tamiko Sohma.

As much as he was ashamed of crying before, Akito wasn't ashamed of the need for his mother. He had an image of her in his head, the way he wanted to preserve her existence. Tamiko was a beautiful woman; the picture only enhancing the natural elegance and poise of her, though not capturing nearly enough of it to do her credit. She had been no more than 17 when the photo had been taken, waist length straight black hair and eyes of the same color. Unsmiling, but not unkind. Her eyes, though mostly obscured beneath her long bangs, seemed to contain a hidden sadness as though her thoughts were meandering outward into her physical appearance. Akito recognized her posture and expression, because the woman was uncanny in appearance to he. The photo had been taken from side on, her face not turning to face the camera as though the photographer had been unworthy of her attention. She appeared haughty, aloof, but beautifully so. Akito found that he himself was often perceived this way; that his calm countenance was mistaken at times for a true nature of gentleness. What hurt so much was that he _knew _that a part of him was indeed gentle; that if his life had been different, circumstances different, than he _would_ be a kind, gentle person. But it was too late now. There was nowhere to go, no way of changing the _thing _that he had become. ... He didn't know _how._

Tamiko Sohma... his mother; was like he. He knew this. Could interpret that cool, careless expression and read the underlying message that she concealed so effortlessly in her dignity and poise. In fact, he wondered whether or not she had inflicted some sort of dire harm to the photographer after he had snapped the picture. The thought warmed him, though it wasn't warmth that came from misguided affection at the thought of violence. It was love for a woman that he'd never even had the chance to know. A family he had never been allowed to grow within.

Akito didn't know exactly when Tamiko had passed away. How could he? He was probably only learning his first word at the time. And though he had never really grieved for her, he cried that day when at the age of 7 he asked the family elders if they might show him some pictures of his mother and father. That's when he learnt but one of the horrible, awful secrets behind the Sohma family master:

They would not... be... remembered.

He had been taught. '_The body is but a vessel for the soul, Akito' _they had told him in the darkness whilst he knelt before them with tiny trembling hands clutched feebly together. _'And_ _as in most symbiotic relationships, the soul is nothing without the protection of the body. But they are not one in the same, my child. Because of these two essences united, a person is precious and is thus able to survive and maintain their life in this world. But... we are different. The Sohma's, the cursed are different. They are _three. _Body, human soul and evil spirits. All compressed to within the area to which only two should belong. Life in this form cannot occupy the same place at the same time without devouring each other. Souls devour and murder men; the body feeds on the flesh of others and is saturated by the evil of the zodiac that whelms within them. Our curse is our suffering and it has been maintained for generations though one would think it could not. So now you must understand why. Why you fall ill so often, why you are weak and tired from a very footstep or why your stomach churns in the night and you fear the darkness of each shadow. Of all the animals, there is none of a more perfect design than the spider. Though you are not cursed with any spirit of the zodiac yours is, none the less, the heaviest burden to carry. Around you the web shall be weaved; you shall tangle the threads, and wrap up the cursed in your cocoons. You are most precious, because you are the family master and the zodiac cannot live without you, because _you _are the one_ _who holds the hunger of the soul at bay. 'Therefore must the soul deceive, despise and murder men.' – A.J. Durai.' _At this point, the elders had kissed the tips of their fingers as though baptizing the definition. The words that followed this would remain with Akito for the rest of his days. _'The evil spirits hunger to devour the humanity they are imprisoned within. The soul, the body... all until only they remain. The curse kills and we cannot end it by letting death come to those cursed. The evil spirits feed off of the soul of humanity and if not appeased turn their appetite to the innocent.' _Akito's eyes still widened at the memory of those words. That awful comprehension flooding his senses as he came to _know. _Ignorance is bliss. And he was so blissful, before he truly knew just what he was. What _he _had been cursed to be. _'Innocence is neither good nor bad, Akito.' _They had said. _'And your family is so innocent, so easily corrupted by evil. You are the spider, the overseer of all who hang in your web. For them, you must take this burden, as did your mother before you and her father before her. For them, you must be no more of individual soul. You belong to the curse and are thus an empty vessel. You will bend to the power of the spirit and lo, you will die for the cursed. They will be able to live, because even now as we speak you, our darling child, are being consumed by the spirits. The soul that would devour them devours you. You, are their sacrifice. _Our _sacrifice. Our hope.'_

You never even gave me a choice. I was a child. _I _was innocent. And if what you said was true than you took innocence in purity and tainted it, corrupted it. Made me what I am.

__

Why wasn't I given a choice? Why do I have to die for your curse?

'You are the Sohma's hope, Akito. And until the day of your death you must never relent in the task that is set out before you. Be for us, what your mother was. What your Grandfather was and all those we proceeded you. But you must understand; though you are the master of this family you are the vessel in which the evil spirits find their nourishment. Your suffering must never influence whoever follows you, for them the slate must be clean. When a spider lays it's eggs, it dies after completing it's task. And thus the children are born, to fly into the passing breeze with nary an idea of how they came to be or fear of what to expect. Spiders are fearless, regret nothing and live by instinct. Not based on the proceedings of the spider before them and so on. That's why we cannot show you any pictures of your mother, do you see? That's why her letters, and her diary, and everything she owned have been incinerated by fire. You must not live your life on a basis of how she did. We _fashion you. _We _are your teachers. And when you die, you too will be forgotten. You shall be swept aside into the waves of history as though you never were at all. But do not bemoan your fate. Try not to be sad. Easier said than done, we know but this is the reality of it, child. Though you might spread your arms wide and declare with all the might of your voice that you do exist, you shall die and your body shall crumble to dust beneath the feet of those walking behind you. They will go on and not even remember you. Memories too, can be taken from the mind if we so wish it. Do not struggle in your web, my dear. Shout all you want, but this web was woven long before you came kicking and screaming into this world and it will not yield to the insignificant power of the Vessel.'_

They had told him to go to sleep after that. And despite what dreams may come he was to sleep. Never mind that fear that stilled his limbs, making him shiver and curl up under the sheets, watching the branches of the cherry blossom tree silhouetted against the moon outside. The branch bobbed before the glass, like a clawed hand preparing at any second to shatter through and tear his heart from his chest. He had cried. He had called for his mother. His mother that would never come.

Akito glanced over the picture once more before placing it back inside the drawer, hidden beneath the boxer shorts and other small items of personal value. At times, Akito felt like keeping a diary just to write down what he was feeling. To erase it from his mind and onto paper. He could hide it, keep it from their sight so that someday maybe someone would find it and know his story. And his name.

But the rational part of him knew that nothing could be hidden from the elders. They would tear apart his room once he had vacated it, ripping open drawers and emptying out his cupboards if only to destroy a few meager pieces of paper or a photograph or two. Whilst they were conducting their search, they would find one picture frame with a newspaper clipping of a woman inside. A beautiful woman with long black hair, eyes of the same color and an aloof expression.

Akito tried to visualize her prying up a floorboard and replacing it with another. His chest swelled with pride at the thought. It was something of a subtle spit in the face of those self-righteous elders, who hovered in the background tugging the invisible strings. Though everything she was had been destroyed, in the end she found a way to leave her mark.

Perhaps.

Or perhaps he was merely clutching at straws.

Akito examined his nails and picked at the drying clumps of blood beneath them. He felt awful about what he had done to Kureno. Even if the boy was only a servant he still felt like he was his only friend in the world and this was how he sought to repay him? With violence?

He would apologize. Make things right between them, even if it took vocalization to do it. He was death on legs anyway, so what the Hell was a little dignity between family masters and chicken slaves?

Later though. Always time later.

Right now, he needed a shower. He felt unclean.

Kureno nursed the icepack over his swollen eye, registering the cold blister that seeped through his skin. He was sitting in his room, on the crest of his bed facing out towards the window. The room itself was typically devoid of characterization, so much so that you might almost mistake it for a spare room that no one used. Almost. There was a pile of papers on the cabinet in the corner of the room, with various sketches and paintings adorning them. On the bedside table sat a plain picture frame with a photo of a girl glaring out at him, her expression challenging even frozen as it was. She was around 17 years of age, pretty but sober looking with blonde hair that reached to the curve of her shoulder blades and bangs that concealed one eye from sight. She wore neither makeup nor earrings, and was dressed in a blue school uniform. Uo always told him she could have given him a better picture, one with her wearing a nice dress and makeup, but Kureno fondly replied that he liked that one. There were no falsities about it. With Arisa Uotani, what you see is what you get and that photo showed exactly who she was.

Uo apparently was Tohru Honda's friend, and whilst Kureno had never had the pleasure of meeting the charming young lady renowned among the Sohma household he heard enough about her, and her mother, from Uo.

Kureno lay back on the bed. He was never quite sure how to class his and Uo's... relationship. They had met at a grocery store whilst he had been stocking up on supplies for the Main House. He enjoyed his shopping trips, being mildly agoraphobic meant that there weren't many places he could go that wouldn't result in panic attacks but the grocery store was one of those safe places. Kureno had been browsing the fruit and vegetable section when he had spotted her. She was tall, though not nearly as tall as he. But tall for a girl her age nonetheless. To his eyes she was positively stunning and he had felt a dull throb of unfamiliar emotions swelling within him at the very sight of her. It was these feelings that caused him to, somewhat embarrassingly, drop his groceries. Fruit and veggies everywhere. She had laughed and those slight lines that curled up to frame the corners of her mouth seemed to only highlight her features. Give her an edge. She was wild and carefree. Mocking of the world. A Yin to his Yang you might say. Self confident and proud, whilst he was more humble and conservative. Respectful. She had been a breath of fresh air and he had breathed it in as eagerly as he could. They had even gone to lunch together, and he had not panicked whilst being in a new place which was a major deal for him. Then... he had almost kissed her.

He wondered if things would be different if he had kissed her that day. Even though he knew it was pointless to reflect on the past, sometimes he couldn't stop from dwelling on his own personal issues like this. But he had seen what had happened to Hatori and Kana and he would not risk the same harm coming to Uo, because of Akito's possessive personality. Kureno wished they could be like two teenage lovers; he creeping out of his window in the dead of the night and walking to her place in the dark. To stand below her room before her house and throw stones gently against her windowpane until she awoke. She would shimmy down the drainpipe, take his hand and together they could run away together, away from the turmoil's that encased everything around them. He wanted to be someone that she could depend on. Someone... someone she could trust.

But Kureno wasn't that someone. He was too fearful... too selfishly fearful. Plus his phobia made running away kind of difficult. He was sure Uo only thought of him as a friend anyway. Well... at least she _had_. Now who knew? Her last words to him had been; "Yeah?! Well screw you too, buddy!!" and then she had stormed away from him, hair tossed in the breeze like a care free hand had just reached down and tousled it. In anger, she was so beautiful and he hadn't wanted to hurt her. Not ever. But when you were one of the Sohma's, _cursed_, it really was inevitable.

Kureno sighed and lay back against the pillows, absently running one hand over the scar on his left hip. The scar tissue had healed long ago, but the particulars of that wound were still fresh in his mind.

Memories... his memories remained, whilst so many within the clan had been destroyed by The Touch of the Dragon. Yet he went on, living each day with the key to so many secrets buried in his mind. And nobody knew. Nobody.

The rooster transferred the hand from his skin to deep within the confines of his pocket. From within the fabric he withdrew a plaited leather cord, withered a bit by age and mildew. Nothing a good wash couldn't clean, he figured. He held the cord up and examined the central piece. A wooden carving about as thick as a match box with irregular holes peppered down along the front of it. The designer had fashioned the wood into a fine angel carving, with delicately crafted wings done in the minutest detail. Each feather had been individually chiseled and the wings arched high above the tiny face chipped in at the top. The angels eyes were closed as though he or she (it did not appear gender direct) were deep in contemplation and it's two tiny hands were folded up tight against it's little wooden chest. But even this extraordinary detail was not alone what made the piece so breathtaking. In the clasp of the angels hands, sat a fine red jewel, untainted by age. A garnet. It flickered in the light like a winking eye, shining as perfectly as if he had just had it polished. Yet he had done no such thing. This had been the treasure Kureno had taken from beneath the floorboards and it had been the jewel that had attracted him. What a marvelous trinket! And to think, it had been lying abandoned beneath the floorboards in the old prayer room! Whoever had misplaced this must have fretted dreadfully over the loss of such a fine piece of jewelry when they found the cord not slung securely knotted around his or her neck. And by some grim chance of luck it had come to be in Kureno's hand. He felt satisfied with himself. It reminded him of being a little boy again, how the discovery of something lost by another was a huge adventure. Only this wasn't a stray coin or pencil he had stumbled across, oh no. This was much more exciting.

Kureno turned it idly in his hand, examining it from all sides. It seemed to be in extremely good condition, if you didn't count the dirt that had seeped in between all the cracks and curves. He abandoned his ice pack for a moment and used the sleeve on his opposing arm to lightly rub at the jewel, seeing if he could make it gleam even more. As Kureno pulled away he did a sudden double take, hoping he had imagined what he thought had just happened.

Surely... the angels' eyes didn't open?

Were they closed before? He was sure they were. But now, the lids were wide set with two tiny eyes gazing out, painted in with a minute little brush. But the strokes were done so perfectly. Too perfectly. It looked real, like real tiny eyes. He stared down into them, noting that they were green with a lighter tone for the pupil and that they weren't focused on him. He wasn't sure why he expected them to be, but he was more frightened by the fact that they seemed to be gazing off into the hallway to his left. Kureno turned to look and he felt a sudden coldness pressing down on him. Terrible sadness and something like... triumph. Freedom after long entombment. He tried to turn his head, to twist it away as cold fingers brushed up his cheek and rested on the crest of his ear. Breaths fell on him though there was no one there besides him to draw breath. Coldness... the fingers traced trails across his cheeks and fingered his hair. A burst of courage, or perhaps fear raced through him and Kureno turned to look. But of course, there was no one there.

Only shadows, slipping silently up the hallway towards the upper area of the Main House.

"It... it can't be..." Kureno croaked.

The angel closed its eyes.

It didn't long for Akito to determine the root of his unclean feeling.

He prepared for his shower in a ritualistic fashion; long robes falling to the floor around his slim form as he shrugged them from the upward rise of his shoulders. The material slithered off of him like snakeskin being shed, rippling in brief poetic patterns as they fell around his feet. He removed his boxer shorts and threw them aside, running his hand through his hair as he reached out to twist the hot tap on. The water fizzled out; cold at first than gradually increasing to a whiter heat infused fluid that drizzled down in tempo. Akito watched the process, before turning on the cold tap. He adjusted each one until the water was a perfect heat and then he delicately stepped in, cane resting up against the wall in exchange for the safety rail within the shower stall. Akito sighed as the water rushed over him, the heat wonderfully scalding. A fine water temperature for him was boiling and as a result, the bathroom got quite steamed up. Already a thin trail of condensation was starting to form on the glass.

Akito's bathing habits were wide open to speculation amongst the Sohma clan. A bath was all well and good, but sometimes Akito preferred to shower. It was a habit of his that caused raised eyebrows amongst the other family members, but nothing they cared to object to. Let Akito do as he wanted. He'd be dead soon anyway.

He didn't care if they couldn't bring themselves to understand. He sometimes found it a little embarrassing to admit it even to himself.

It was so simple. Such a simple thing was all it took to make him feel human. Such a sexual thing, showering. The reddening of the skin similar to the flushing of the body that would occur during love making, or so he had read. The water cascading over every narrow arch and sliding down between milk white thighs to caress him in a way that no other person ever would. Akito tilted back his head, exposing the delicate breadth of his chest to the pounding water. He shook his head, sending water spinning out from each wet strand, eyes closed to savour the stimulation.

All his troubles were washing away. Washing away down the drain along with the dirt from his skin. Washing away the past...

Akito clasped a hold of the sponge on the shower tray and scrubbed it across his body, leaning down to stroke the entire length of his legs. Despite his sheltered existence, he was nonetheless quite flexible and was able to brush the sponge down to the tips of his toes without even bending his knees. It was an exquisite feeling this freedom, whatever you might call it and Akito relished it. He wanted nothing more than to preserve these emotions forever and carry them with him through every endeavor of his life. But it wasn't that easy. Human's, he knew were purely sexual creature's, driven by the fire of their loins wanting nothing more than to quench the heat of their own whorish bodies. Nowadays sex was nary alone a tool for reproduction, oh no. It was satisfying, rich, like hot water dripping from naked limbs and barely parted lips. Akito had been taught by the Elder's that sex was a tool of the God's, that human's must do his will with their desire but only so to reproduce. He was taught the importance of this and as such had never skirted their expectations of him. Not even with the truth.

But they had figured it out anyway. Hadn't they.

Akito felt his body tremble, even beneath the heat. _I am a vessel for the children; _he recited wordlessly, though his lips mouthed each letter independently. _Make me fruitful, that I might bear an heir before my death and thus the cycle continues. My life is theirs, may I give them the next life to make also theirs. Make my loins heat too, when it is asked of me._

The recital didn't calm him down. It made him ill. He _wasn't _just an empty vessel, Goddammit! He was human!! He reasserted this by stroking his hand down his body and resting it on his inside thigh, a blasphemous defiant move. His fingers wrapped around the inert shaft and he stroked, feeling the reaction creeping through his body. He needed this... to reassert his life. To reassert _himself _more than anything. But even this simple pleasure couldn't draw his mind away from those stubborn thoughts. _For nineteen years I have been alone whilst all those around me found warmth in the arms and beds of others! There has been no one for me to hold close and to love! No one to touch me and place their hands on my body in the manner of a lover. No one to say, 'I love—' no, no there is no love for the cursed now is there? Only this barely restrained lust that swells within me that I am unable to quell...'_

"He'll never be able to give us child. He is one of the Impure."

He had been twelve. Walking up the hallway of the main house when he had heard the man speak from inside one of the dark rooms. Akito had tiptoed up to the door and pressed his eye against it, listening to the conversation that he was obviously intended not to hear.

__

"How can you know this for sure?" The woman had questioned. She was one of Akito's teachers. The man, the family doctor before Hatori obviously. But not his father.

__

"I know." Had been the spiteful reply, as if the words were formed with acidic spittle. _"I look at him, and I know. He'll turn out to be nothing more than a filthy, God shamed faggot. I can see it. He will not be able to give us an heir, if his orientation lies in the wrong direction."_

"He could still impregnate a woman. Do not jump to conclusions my friend, for even if he is... impure he can still fill a woman's womb."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. You know we can not take chances with the bloodline or allow it free reign of it's manipulative games. I came to you today to request permission alone."

"Permission for what, might I ask?"

Couldn't think about it anymore. Akito pressed his face against the tiles of the shower, groaning and near sobbing at the indignation of his memories, his hand releasing his thickening desire and leaving it hot and unfulfilled. All the while he had been scrubbing his body, scrubbing in a way that could only be compared to the intense salvaging of his skin seven years ago... The white was now red raw. Akito clasped his petite shoulders with his hands, trying to close himself off as though someone was reaching out for him again. His chin tucked in tight against his chest. He coughed, water trickling down his face in eternal streams, washing down the drain, washing away the dirt.

But the past was still there.

The horror of that night, seven years ago. Waking up with the doctor on top of him. He moved to cry out but the other man had placed his hand over his mouth and pinched his nose shut. A murmur was all that escaped, then a muffled scream as the syringe came into view, the sharp point then driven into the mass of muscle where his neck met the shoulders. Akito had bucked, squirmed and cried as the doctor pushed the plunger home and some foul fluid had been injected into his bloodstream.

__

Scrub. Just keep scrubbing.

The drug soon accomplished it's task and his movements had slowed completely to an extinction, so that he just lay there, mouth agape and useless as the hand moved away. Not a twitch was to his control. Akito lay there, exposed, helpless. The dreaded needle came out and the Doctor, he was nothing else to Akito, set it on the bedside table and picked up one of those twist cap little jars, like you might use for a urine sample.

__

Scrub. Make it go away. Just... keep... scrubbing...

He had pulled the sheets down and lifted Akito's kimono to waist height, no more. Just enough to slip his hand under. Just enough...

And then...

...And then...

Akito gave a hoarse cry and threw the sponge to the shower floor, pressing his face hard into the tile and repeatedly knocking it with his skull. He wanted to scrub his body until his epidermis came off and all that was left was gleaming wet muscle, protruding bone and bitter hated memories. He wanted to run far, far away without the aid of his cane. It didn't matter that the doctor had spared him the horror of being fucked. He wasn't interested in anything like that and somehow, this made it worse than if it had been rape.

__

"Permission to extract the seed from the boy, so that in the future if all else fails we can still artificially inseminate."

A vessel. His seed. Extract his seed. The whole thing sounded ludicrous, so much so that he had stifled a giggle outside the door at the time. And just _how _will you 'extract the seed?' he had smartly thought. 'Just how?'

How indeed.

__

"He _won't let you."_

"He will have no say in the matter. This is an affair of the Sohma clan. This is more important than rights, dignity, innocence. This must _be done."_

And it had been. Akito didn't even think that a twelve-year old could be fertile. But apparently he had been, because the doctor left him lying there, kimono hitched up, drugged, humiliated and frightened, whilst he casually left the room, screwing the cap on the jar now filled with the 'seed.' The white, life giving seed that he had been violated for all because of an assumption of his sexuality. It might not have been true, if they had been willing to wait it out rather than-

Well what did it matter? It _was _true after all. He was an 'impure' that which was shunned by the Elder's as being fruitless bastard children who were slaves to their sexual drive, rather than the other way around. They were willing to give their body up for a worthless cause. Blasphemous, naive bastard children.

Akito had become so angry every time they ranted on with the subject, making their derogative, opprobrious comments. He'd wanted to jump up and scream; 'It's not my fault! Do you understand me?! We don't ask to be this way! I can't help the way I am!!" He'd been taught that you _could _help the way you were. People only _chose _to be gay, to be rebellious or to spit in the God's face. It was trendy nowadays and people were too self-absorbed to resist the twisted pit of intrigue and evil. Akito didn't understand. It wasn't fair that so many others could like the correct people, marry and be with whom they wanted, but not only was he supposed to marry and impregnate a woman chosen for him by the Elder's he wasn't even allowed to embrace his own sexuality. He wasn't supposed to like... boys. He couldn't be one of the impure. He just _couldn't _be.

But he was.

__

'He'll turn out to be nothing more than a filthy, God shamed faggot.'

Akito hung his head, water dripping from the tips of his bangs. '_Why...?_' He thought. '_Why do I prove you right? Why couldn't I prove you wrong?'_

His thoughts were deterred by an unusual squeaking sound. Akito looked up a little, searching for the source of the disturbance. It was unusually loud, even over the sound of the pounding water. His eyes picked up nothing at first, though they raked each and every surface of the bathroom unwaveringly. A moment passed and he was about to turn his attention toward the task of washing his hair and nails when a shadow passed over the doorway. The movement was so quick that Akito barely had time to look to it before he was struck from behind. 'Struck' is perhaps an incorrect reconstruction of the action. The force, though indeed powerful, was not cruel. It was faster than it was violent and it thrust Akito into the corner of the shower stall, slotting him into place like a jigsaw piece. Akito grunted in surprise and then pain as his nose and cheeks pressed up against the inclining tiles, forcing him to tilt his head upwards to keep from getting crushed. He tried to turn his eyes to see what was attacking him but there was nothing to see, even from the corner of his sight. The shower was empty. Yet that force was still there. That essence... it was still pressed against him!

Akito felt terror flush through him, the heat of his body dominant now he had been moved from beneath the stream of the water. He struggled, trying to get away from whatever it was that held him there but it was a futile effort. He was simply too weak. Besides... how do you fight something that is completely intangible? There was no ankle to kick no solar plexus to grind the bony part of his elbow into. There was nothing!

Nothing... yet, there _was _undeniably something. Akito gasped as a pressure kneaded into the flesh of his long back, tracing the indent of his spine up from the crease of his buttocks. It felt like... a finger. An invisible finger. Akito tried to escape the touch by stretching up as far as he could on his tippy toes, grimacing as the touch moved with him. It reached his neck and another sensation took his place. A hot one, unfamiliar in context to him but not wholly undesirable. A sharp pain, teeth scraping his skin, biting and sucking. Nipping. Akito groaned despite his fear, his hands squelching and sliding against the wet tiles as he searched for anything to grasp a hold of. The invisible finger was trailing patterns along his back; sharp pain coming into his skin as if a fingernail were carving symbols into his skin. An additional touch; a second hand rubbing at his neck and then moving onto his chest, sliding across already hardening nipples and moving down the slim chest towards the pelvis. A little cry escaped Akito's lips and he was instantly ashamed. Not so much for breaking his vow of silence, but because of the sound itself. It was a pleasurable sound, a sexual sound. He'd never been touched like this before, not ever and it didn't seem to matter the particulars of it. That the thumb tracing the triangular shape of his pubic area and the hand carving down his soft white thigh was not even there didn't matter. An invisible person was doing this. No... that wasn't logical.

He almost giggled. He lived in a family where people turned into animals if hugged by a member of the opposite sex and now _he _was deciding what was logical and what was not? What a hilarious thought.

There was only one alternative. Insanity had finally taken hold completely. It was a much more feasible thought than that of the Invisible Man swooping into his shower to give him a bit of loving. He'd finally lost the plot. That had to be it. This wasn't really happening, no way. It was all in his mind.

__

For once, my mind's not a bad place to be Akito thought as both hands scratched his body and the feeling of the kiss on his neck moved to beneath his chin. He whimpered, scared but comforted somewhat by the thought that this was just another illusion. For all he knew, he was still dreaming.

__

Wakey, wakey Akito... Wakey, wakey...

One of those hands that was there, but not really there, found Akito's as they squeaked against the wet tiles and twisted them up above his head, lifting him up even higher on the brink's of his toes. Akito whimpered as the other hand slid down his back like a kid on a slippery dip and caressed his soft buttocks. The hair on the back of Akito's neck rose as a cold sad breath blew against it... and... he heard it. The sound of a breath being sucked it and deposited into the steam about him. His eyes teared, as coldness seemed to batter at his mind, vast emotions superior to his own that blocked his mouth and nose and choked him. He felt fear now... his own mostly, but there was something else weighing in on him and now instead of embracing the hold that he lay down to insanity, he twisted against it, crying wordless screams. The tight fists didn't lessen their grip and so horribly he thought back seven years ago to the doctor... oh God, no... The doctor was dead now... this couldn't be...

"Let me go..." He sobbed and hated himself so much for speaking.

Denial. Somehow he got the impression that someone was standing right behind him, shaking its' head and pressing in even closer. The breath was inside of him, teeth biting and fingernails raking his reddened skin as if to lay some branded claim to him. Akito pressed himself into the corner as far as he could go, fear finally taking hold. This wasn't an illusion. This was _real. _There was something else in there with him. He didn't know what to do to escape this ... thing, whatever it was. Should he pray? Should he fight some more? Or simply let it have its way?

"Stop..." He gasped, scrunching his eyes shut and trying to pull his hands down. Inexplicably they were released and he bundled them in tight to his chest, rubbing at the red marks encircling his wrists. Pressure around his center, the thing holding him tight. Embracing him.

__

Forgive me. Don't fear, don't fear.

A cold breeze in amidst the heat and a voice that used feelings instead of words speaking to him, within his own unreliable head.

__

Sugar-Skin... you are so sad. So very sad. I only wanted to give you something to smile about... no fear did I intend for you. No tears...

The pressure lifted and Akito started as the shadow caused by the line of the sink in the sun suddenly stretched across the room, gathering other shadows to it before disappearing under the door. The shadows that were eradicated soon reappeared in the light, as if the presence had only borrowed them for a split second. Akito could not move for the terror that stilled his entire body.

__

Forgive me. No fear, no tears, my little one. No tears.

For a moment, he stood there, frozen to the spot by terror. Then adrenaline took over and he plunged back into the shower stream, scalding himself as the temperature had been upped for some reason. Akito didn't care. He slipped and nearly fell flat on his face but was able to steady himself on the bar in the shower just in time. It was then that he realized he was panting erratically, breaths tearing out of him defiantly and he placed a hand over his chest as though this would distinguish control. He also had an erection.

What shame.

He leant there and hung his head, panting and damning himself. He prayed to whomever cared that whatever had happened was just an illusion. A concoction of his elaborately fucked up mind. But somehow... he didn't believe this. Like that figure he had seen in the woods before, he could not simply swallow the deception he tried to force upon himself.

This had happened. It had been real.

__

Were the two events connected?

Akito closed his eyes and bit his lip. "Who are you?" He hissed. His voice still sounded eerily alien to himself after being silent for so long. A moment passed and then there was a loud squeaking noise, just like the one he had heard before he had been attacked. Akito looked up and opened his eyes, each one widening as he saw the source of the sound.

The mirror dripped with condensation, but a series of lines were cut through it, the kind you would do with your finger on the foggy window of car. There was kanji there, one that had been there longer, indicated by the long trails of water that had stripped away from it. They were both quite vivid though, and their message disturbingly clear.

The older one said; "_Creak, creak, creak."_

The newer one read, "_Lucky."_

Akito fainted.

Author's note: Well what can I say? I do love my wankst. No Aya and Shigure in this chapter, but don't worry they get the next one all to themselves so no stressing out you mad Aya/Gure fans you! Interested in opinions, mostly of the positive and constructive persuasion and preferably no flames so if you want to offer any of the prior two might I draw your attention to the handy dandy little rectangle shaped bar on the left of your screen. Hope you all enjoyed, next chapter coming soon!


	4. Dark Shade

****

Born to be Broken.

Disclaimer: I own it. And if anyone else wants to use it you must pay me a hefty donation. ... Okay, not really. If you ask nicely I may just make an exception. (Notices Fruits Basket producers, writers and whatnot sneaking up behind her with a nice spiky mallet.) Uh... is it too late to mention that I _don't _actually own Fruits Basket and I'm only a big fat liar with _way _too much time on my hands? (Bats eyes innocently at Furuba squad who sit down in chairs behind her and get comfortable.) Whoo... should have known better when I'm on constant surveillance.

****

Note: Well, what to say? What to say? This fic has turned out to be primarily centered around Akito, which is fine (considering that he is my favorite character and all) but that doesn't imply that this is all about him. Ayame and Shigure both play a major part and not just as my yaoi lemon fanservice couple either. This _is _the sequel to The Game we Play after all. I just want to make this clear, because I don't want readers to think that I'm throwing in those two as mere fanservice. (Though a little bit never hurt anyone if you ask me.) Hmm... oh yeah, I apologize for not addressing any of my reviewers in the last chapter, and that is simply because I wrote and posted that before I checked my comments! So this goes for both I guess...

bergfjel: Glad you're enjoying it! It's my first time writing a mystery fic on the net, so it's nice to see the effort paying off! In your first comment you mentioned how Akito's curse bothered you because it remains such an enigma. That too annoyed me how the manga or the show never explained it even a little to us. This fic is my own take on it as well as the origins of the zodiac curse itself. I hope you found my little interpretation of Akito's role in the curse feasible in chapter 3. That's how I look at it anyway and it makes sense in my own head! As for what will happen to the other zodiac members when he dies... well, I'll explain that a little further on! I'm trying to answer all the questions that bother me, as well as everyone else it seems! I hope I don't disappoint you! (Hugs)

HAHAHAHAHA ME LIZ!!: Well, I don't want Akito to die either! But that's up to the writers of the show/manga at this point and in this fic, up to me! Depends on whether I think it will earn me good publicity! ...Okay, I'm just teasing. Thanks for your comments and umm... other readers can take note of this while I'm at it: At no point will this turn out to be a Tohru/Akito fic. I just can't see that coupling happening for a majority of reasons, though I _can _understand why other people would. ... I honestly cannot see Akito with a girl considering how... cough_gay_cough _feminine _he is himself. I mean, I could debate... but I wont. I'm not here to convert anyone. Sorry if you wanted a Tohru/Akito fic Liz but I hope you'll be happy instead with what I give you! (Hugs)

Shuichi-kun: Thankyou very much! It's so rewarding to get positive reviews like yours! laughs I know what you mean, cliffies piss me off too! But I know the feeling it gives me when I'm left hanging and ultimately it's good and I'll whisk back later to find out what happens! That's why I do it! Evil laugh I hope you continue to enjoy it, cliffies or no! (Hugs.)

SniperKitty: I just _love _the way you described Akito! "Dark Elegance" that's the perfect way to describe him! Makes me feel all gooey and warm inside! Thanks for your comments and I guess I sound redundant every time I thank a reviewer, but it means a lot to me every time somebody writes me a review like yours. You really think my little fic would make a good custom frame for Akito? Blushes Shucks... I only hope I do him justice! Thankyou very, very much! (Hugs)

Purple Witchy Angel: I'm glad you're enjoying the mystery element of my fic! I was worried that it wasn't as freaky as it should be and that readers wouldn't be hooked by my form of writing. But you've eased my doubts. Hope you enjoy the next chapter, though the next freaky bit with Akito will be the one following this one. I'll have that chapter out sooner than usual just so you know! Thanks! (Hugs.) I'm giving out free hugs to all my reviewers now, because if I leave one out, they'll think I don't like them as much or something... I love ALL my reviewers! (Royally kisses their asses.)

Demeter1: (Blushes shamefully.) Yeah... I know about Gary Stu's... I was just hoping that none of my reviewers would point that out to me... (Hides face for a while.) Still, on the bright side, I'm thankful for having smart reviewers!! Yes Gary Stu's are admittedly just as weedy and annoying as Mary Sue's and I am hoping that my character won't turn out that way, but in the end it is up to my readers to decide not me. I'll just try and keep him in check as much as I can. If he slips, I'll hit him with my Giggle Bug. (Waves Giggle Bug threateningly at OC.) If my fic didn't call for an OC I wouldn't have one at all, but the plot I've written makes the addition of one a necessity. Okay, I'm done making excuses for myself now. (Laughs.) I know what you mean! I never once had a hatred for Akito, I always wanted to rescue him and take care of him forever! The semen thing I thought was an addition that I could see truly happening and would be an event that would disturb readers and perhaps create a better understanding of the character. It's always nice to hear the opinions of other Akito fans since he is such an intriguing character! I'm going to be revealing a lot of Akito's past so I have been trying to pace it. I was concerned I might not have been doing so very effectively, but it seems to be going well so far. The Lucky thing? Well... I'll let you keep guessing for a little while longer shall I? (Hugs) Thanks! I love reading your reviews! You always seem to notice the little additions I've slipped in there! Makes all my hard work worth it in the end!

Rileycharlotte: (Laughs.) You're a sweetie. And don't be so down on yourself! I wouldn't say that my writing is any better than yours, so there's no need for you to say it either! I think your writing is superb and I love the way your fic is progressing. We're both working on a familiar topic at the moment, which is fun I think. Don't forget, I was new once too and I still am in a sense. A fanfiction baby you might say... or perhaps a toddler at this point. You didn't strike me as being new because your fics have such a mature outline and perspective. You aren't afraid to go where other fanfiction authors are afraid to tread even once in their life and be proud of that. (And don't worry about flamers. They still have a lot of evolving to do if you ask me and don't know an inch about what they flame.) As for my fic, which I should be addressing right now... you have the same view point as me. Akito needs to be with someone stronger than him, otherwise he will inevitably dominate the other person and never learn to control his temper. And he does need to be taken care of. That's part of the reason he is the way he is, because he's been left alone to care for himself without a senior presence to govern his actions. Therefore, a male partner just seems appropriate. It was strange; as soon as I read your review I said; "It's amazing that someone else realizes that too." Though I'm sure you're not the only one! (Hugs) Thankyou and hope you'll keep reading! I'll be reading your fic too! And on that note: Fangirl bow Every time you do that to me, I do that to you. It's only fair, aye?

Sabrina451: I should be ashamed of the way I'm torturing these characters, shouldn't I? Well this is only the tip of the iceberg I'm afraid! (Hugs.) Thanks for complimenting my fic! Hope you'll continue reading!

Well, that's it for my thank you's. Now onto the fic itself! Enjoy everyone!

**__**

SCENE CHANGER

__

There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer;  
no disease that enough love will not heal;  
no door that enough love will not open;  
no gulf that enough love will not bridge;  
no wall that enough love will not throw down;  
no sin that enough love will not redeem...  
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble;  
how hopeless the outlook; how muddled the tangle; how great the mistake.  
A sufficient realization of love will dissolve it all.  
If only you could love enough you would be  
the happiest and most powerful being in the world...  
**Emmet Fox**

__

Ritsu Sohma had just zipped up his travel bag, when the phone rang. He stumbled out into the hallway; very nearly tripping over the wooden Buddha statue that propped his door open, as he made his way to the phone. His mother was out working at the Hot Spring's and he had been left in charge of the house, which also meant in charge of the customer's. It wouldn't pay to miss any calls especially when he was nearly ready to move out and had a responsibility to prove himself as a capable individual. Difficult when you were so shy that you could barely say your own name without blushing, but regardless...

Ritsu snatched the bleating phone out of the cradle and pressed it to his ear. "H-Hello?" He stuttered. He cleared his voice and tried again. "Hello, Sohma Hot Spring's. This is Ritsu speaking. How may I help you?"

He listened to the voice on the other end of the phone and unconsciously relaxed. It wasn't a potential customer, only one of his classmates from the University where he studied. Though Ritsu was still bashful, the relief he felt at not being tested overruled his shyness.

He listened to the other person talk for a moment and then laughed softly, a pink hue spreading across his cheeks.

"A trip up to the old mountain cabin, huh? Well... um, that's nice of you to ask really, thankyou but I've already made other plans. I'm sorry." He bowed his head slightly, even though the other man couldn't see him. As the boy started speaking again, Ritsu moved back to his room and picked up his packing list, checking each item off when he was sure that they were all inside the bag. "My plans? Well um... as a matter of fact... One of my relatives is having a little performance..."

****

SCENE CHANGER

Shigure lit the cigarette as he walked, drawing on the white cylinder needingly. His thoughts were with Akito right then, a desperate desire to understand the frail boy whose life, like a sad book, was slowly drawing to a close. The way he had clung to Kureno so desperately and cried when later he was all alone where he thought no one could see. And Kureno's words as he had shrugged the family master away.

__

"I'm not him."

What had he meant by that? Shigure inhaled on the cigarette deeply, relaxing as the smoke filtered into his lungs and coursed through him. He wanted to understand this missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle that was Akito. It was irritating. As irritating as a real puzzle that you had worked so long on completing only to have the final piece evade you. And it was this one single piece alone that allowed you to see the complete picture. That made the puzzle make sense.

So deep was he in his thoughts that Shigure very nearly had no reaction to the sight that awaited him when he stepped up into the house. His eyes were trained on the floor as he slid the door open and he almost walked straight past Ayame, who had been standing there waiting for him to come back. The snake's indignant "Ahem!" brought him back to reality and he turned to apologize for his dazed state, only to find himself even more dazed than he was to begin with.

Ayame was wearing a small, semi-transparent pink apron with frills... and nothing else. He leaned against the wall seductively, hand trailing down the wood, his eyes locked intensely on Shigure's. His hair was had that tousled 'just-came-from-the-bedroom-' look that Shigure loved and his expression was alluring. Heartbreakingly so. The cigarette nearly fell from the inu's slumped lip and he felt a heated sensation stirring up through his body, like a rapid flush of hot pins and needles. Ayame laughed silently lowering his face to hide his amusement and then raised it once more to keep that contact with Shigure.

"He la-bas beau." He said, fluttering his eyelashes enticingly. "Vous regardez le froid... ll y a n'importe quoi je peux obetenir pour vous? Quelque chose pour vous chaffer en haut peut-etre?"

Shigure's brain found it almost impossible to translate the French, but he managed without even needing it repeated to him. (But for those readers who aren't Shigure, you can find the translation at the bottom of the fic.) His tongue denied him a collective response however and even to his own ears he sounded like a bumbling idiot.

"Oui..." He mumbled, sucking the cigarette back into place so forcefully it nearly hurtled down his throat. "Oui que serait bon..."

A wide smile crept into Ayame's features until it became the most dominant aspect, regardless of everything else. Shigure would never grow tired of that expression; that look when he was trying to be primarily sexy, but was betrayed by the tenderness he felt for the other man. That look of love.

"Merveilleux!" He declared, slinking up to Shigure with a delicate sway of his hips. "Nous commencerons en obtenant vous de ces vetements et dons quelque chose- -" He paused to press his body up against the inu's and wrap his arms around his waist, leaning his entire weight against him. Shigure got a good view down Ayame's exposed back this way. "-_chaud_."

Slowly and sensually he began to rotate his groin against Shigure's, forcing him to keep pace with the hands pressed into the lower half of his back. Shigure buried his nose deep within the silver jungle of his hair and inhaled. A lovely, sweet smell of strawberries availed his senses and it was delicious.

"Shigure... there are better things to put against your lips than those disgusting things." Ayame breathed seductively, his eyes on the offending cigarette. Shigure inhaled and blew out a stream of smoke that skimmed the part of Ayame's hair, raising his eyebrows in an alluring way as he did. An invitation of sorts.

"Would you care to show me just what those things are... Aya?" He purred, allowing his eyes the luxury of observing Ayame's bare backside as they pressed together. Despite the time the time the two of them spent together, not one had grown tired of the games they played. Shigure would never tire of Ayame's wit, his beauty or his body. Just as Ayame would never bore of him and whatever it was that he loved about him.

The snake raised an eyebrow enticingly as he stroked Shigure's back, licking his lips as though Shigure were a delectable dish he were about to sample. Long fingers reached up and plucked the cigarette from the other mans hand, then continued moving to frame Shigure's shoulders. Ayame stroked the fingers of his other hand against the novelists' cheek, smiling as he placed his mouth tantalizingly close to the corner of Shigure's. The dog grinned and softly kissed at his lower lip, pausing to suck gently and trace the corner with his tongue. Ayame tasted fresh; like mint and toothpaste and it made his own mouth feel unworthy to wash in it. Their lips brushed languorously against one another's and Ayame's tongue danced the line before flickering inside to explore every line and curve. He hissed softly, a sign of pleasure and ran his hand up to explore the fuzzle on the back of Shigure's neck, as he was so used to doing now. It was a very affectionate action and Shigure, the part of him that was truly dog, loved that feeling of being petted. They nuzzled at one another's lips for a minute or so until, with a few parting kisses they managed to bring it to a close. Shigure was breathing heavily, his heart throbbing within his chest. But he relished it, closing his eyes and smiling whilst he took it all in.

"You're right..." He whispered, cupping Ayame's hips between his hands and massaging his thumbs against the sharp arch of bone. "That _was _better."

"Mmm hmm." Ayame murmured, turning away and sauntering off towards the ashtray. He ground the cigarette down against the base of it, until the ash had died away completely before he turned his attention back to Shigure. "It was nice, but I do wish you'd quit that nasty habit Gure. It does terrible things to the taste of you mouth. I may just have to start carrying around a bottle of breath spray for you to use every time you kiss me if you keep that up!"

Shigure laughed, well at least tried to but rather made a harsh snorting noise out his nose. It was impossible to do anything with Ayame looking the way he was.

"What's with the um... get up?" He asked finally, indicating with his finger what the 'get up' was. He couldn't help but think 'get up' was an appropriate term for it, considering the effect it was having on his body.

Ayame giggled and gave a little curtsy, spinning in a circle as if to show it off. Shigure whimpered quite audibly.

"This old thing? Why Shigure, it would be a semi-transparent apron with little pink frills!" He squealed, clapping his hands together in girlish glee. "There's nothing quite like cooking in the near-nude to get the blood going! If you don't take sex into consideration that is..."

"You've been cooking?" Shigure asked, stopping to sniff the air in case he'd only been joking. No, there was the distinct scent of baked goods lingering. "I have to say, I'm more surprised by that than what you're wearing. No offense. You look great!"

"Thankyou!" Ayame beamed, holding out the hem and then allowing it to drop back against his thigh. "I was actually going to jump on your chest when you came in the door, but realized too late that it was not a safe stunt..." He trailed off with an embarrassed look and walked into Shigure's bedroom where he had some other clothes laid out on the bed. Shigure followed him over and leaned against the door, crossing his arms as he watched him change.

"Aya... what happened?" He asked.

Ayame laughed somewhat guiltily. "Well... let's just say I would not be surprised if Kyou moved out in the next couple of days or so."

It took a while for Shigure to comprehend this. "Oh... dear..."

"Oh dear is right! My word, that boy has outstanding gusto when he starts on with a tirade! I could barely encourage him to go to his room for a while! And poor Tohru was quite embarrassed! Yuki, always the gentleman, was kind enough to cover her eyes whilst I concealed myself with the tablecloth. It actually makes quite a nice toga if you know how to tie it!"

"Where are the kids now?" Shigure inquired casually, inspecting his nails.

"Kyou's in his room, undoubtedly scheming up malicious acts of ill intent towards me, whilst Yuki and Tohru have occupied themselves at the Secret Base." Ayame said, tying the cord around the kimono he had chosen to wear and walking back out to join Shigure. "Apparently there were teacher's meetings at school and they were all let out early. I wasn't expecting them home at this point in time and my incorrect assumption has caused quite an embarrassing spectacle. It may just be so, that I can never visit here again."

Shigure nodded sullenly. "That is a fair point. We should probably break up. There's no other way."

The reaction was one that Shigure had not been overall expecting and was passionate in the definition. Ayame threw his arms around Shigure's neck and squeezed him tightly, rocking from one foot to the other as they embraced. His voice was completely serious.

"After all the trouble we went through to get here in the first place? No way, le cheri." He leant up and softly deposited a kiss on the inu's lips, stroking the spot with the tip of his finger as he drew back. "No. Way."

Ayame trailed his hand down Shigure's chest and rested it against his heart, moving his head so that he could listen to the definitive sound of the beating red organ. It thudded in his eardrums and that primitive beat reminded him of how much he loved this man. Sometimes he got the feeling that Shigure underestimated just how much he cared, just how scared he was for him though there seemed to be no rationality for it. Only that of a dream, a nightmare in which someone who looked like him had been murdered. He was so frightened of having that comfort that was Shigure taken away, but he couldn't find the words to say it. To address his concerns. So he touched him instead and hoped that his lover could translate his affection into the words he couldn't say. For whatever the reason.

"I missed you Gure..." He said suddenly, breaking the silence that had enveloped them for the passing minute. Shigure raised an eyebrow at him as he stroked his head.

"I was only gone for little more than an hour." He reasoned, allowing the hint of a chuckle to creep into his words. Ayame shook his head stubbornly.

"I don't care how long it was! You were gone longer than I thought you would be! I was frantic with worry! Is anything wrong? You spoke to Hari about the... em, dreams right?"

For a moment Shigure considered telling Ayame what had happened with Akito, but decided against it. Ayame didn't have much sympathy for the family master, nor did he seem too concerned with the affairs of the main house. In fact, in the last two months all Ayame seemed to be concerned with was the progression of his and Shigure's relationship. Even his attempts at bonding with Yuki seemed to have taken a back seat. For the first time in a long time, he possessed an admirable stability that meant he no longer worked himself (or others for that matter) into a frenzy. There was a calmness to his persona, an indication of his internal struggle finally ending. And it was thanks to Shigure that this had been resolved at last.

Shigure shook his head, sending his bangs swaying across his face and gave a light-hearted smile.

"No love. Hari was a little busy today so we didn't get round to it. However..." His voice took on a mischievous overtone and he grinned sadistically. "-He wants you to come in for your monthly check up ASAP."

Ayame made a sharp exclamation and clasped a hand over his mouth.

"Oh NO! It's not time for my checkup is it?!" He cried in mock horror, jumping up and throwing his legs around Shigure's waist, clinging to him cartoonishly. "Oh Gure, he's so CRUEL! He takes my blood pressure until my arm just about explodes! Then he shoves the thermometer so far down my throat I damn near choke! And let's not even go into the cough test!"

"It seems kind of hypocritical for you to complain about being choked Aya, when I seem to recall one particular incident which involved you near to impaling _me_." Shigure chuckled, poking his lover playfully in the chest. "And I don't mean with a thermometer either..."

Ayame pulled a face and climbed down, shoving him hard in the shoulders once he was on his feet. "Shigure don't be so crude!" He whined. "That wasn't my fault and you know it!"

"Do I?"

"Uh huh!! If I recall _you _were the one humming! Serves you right really... it wasn't even a good song, you could at least have sung something with a little bit of feeling in it rather than a jingle you might hear inside of an elevator-"

"You look _fantastic_." Shigure said, transitioning randomly to another topic. It was a common necessity with Ayame, otherwise he was likely to go off on a tangent that was long, boring and obscure. In this case it worked. Shigure found the best way to change the topic was to one that involved what he was wearing or how he looked. If it were anything else Ayame would end up sulking for ages and refusing to talk at all. Whilst this was a relief in come circumstances it got boring after a while and Shigure hated having him mad at him. Ayame stopped his yapping immediately and beamed, giving a little curtsy as he grasped Shigure's fingers and spun in a circle beneath the arch of his arm.

"You like it? I designed it myself, especially for an occasion such as this!" He sang cheerfully, clapping his hands together. Shigure pursed his lips together thoughtfully and scratched his chin, giving it a grand once over. Ayame was wearing a white and purple kimono with long trailing sleeves and ruffly trims along the splits that ascended the length of his long smoothly shaven legs. To be perfectly honest; he looked outstanding. Though Shigure had to wonder as to what the occasion might be. A visit to his house, though a pleasure in its own right, didn't exactly warrant such a beautiful garment. He got the feeling Ayame had something up those fashionable ruffled sleeves.

"Love it Aya!" He said finally, giving a thumbs up. "I also like what you were wearing before..." He added hopefully, wondering why Ayame had chosen to shed the apron so early on.

The tailor waggled his finger beneath Shigure's nose and pranced away, sleeves trailing through the air behind him.

"I'm sure you did!" He laughed, spanning the doorway into the kitchen with both his arms. The sleeves fell down to his shoulders exposing the rich smooth skin and subtle muscle patterns. "And you would have had more of a chance to enjoy it if you had gotten home sooner. But that's your own fault now isn't it?"

"But... we have all the time in the world... don't we?" Shigure said as cutely as he could muster, slinking up close and moving to place his hands around Ayame's hips; his own personal handrail. Ayame slipped away before contact could be established, sliding into the kitchen as purposefully as his snake form stalking its prey. His eyes seemed to glow and they never left Shigure's, as if he were the animal he were about to sink his fangs into and pump full of poison.

"No, we don't." He replied primly, turning his back on him and walking over to the bench. A large wicker basket sat on the countertop; one side propped open and a square tray of various morsels set beside it. Ayame examined this critically, then with a pair of tong's made his way over to a pot cooling on the stove and plucked something dripping from within it. With care, he carried it over to the box and placed it within one of the empty compartments. Shigure realized that it was actually several something's that looked remarkably like octopus rings. The smell alone was enough to die for. He could feel his mouth starting to lubricate heavily with saliva.

"There! That's the last of it!" Ayame said with satisfaction. He stretched some cling wrap over top of the compartment and then lowered it into the basket, tucking the exposed checkered cloth back inside as he closed it. He picked it up and slung it into the crook of his arm and balanced it gently with the other hand as he turned to Shigure, beaming like a small child who was waiting for praise from an adult.

"A... picnic?" Shigure asked uncertainly. When Ayame nodded the inu couldn't resist rolling his eyes. "Just when I thought a gay relationship couldn't be refined any further..."

Ayame was confused. "What are you talking about? There's nothing gay about a picnic!!"

"Gay means happy." Shigure said firmly, feeling the burgeoning desire to laugh almost overwhelming him. "We're going to have a happy picnic, are we?"

"Yes we are!" The snake cheered with a large smile. "It's something I've been wanting us to do for ages mon amour! Picnics are so romantic... Just you, me, the sky, the food and all the ants!" He sighed lovingly and ran a hand through his hair. "Now come on! If we get there fast enough, I'll even make you a daisy chain!"

Shigure had to forcibly unroll his eyes from his sockets as they made their way outside, much to the delight of Kyou who had been counting off the seconds until they left with great vigor. It was a bright sunny day, perfect conditions for a picnic you might say. And it was a hell of a lot more romantic than if it were gray and overcast.

"So... where should we go for our happy picnic?" Shigure asked, shielding his eyes from the harsh rays of the sun as he looked around. He turned to look at Ayame to see if he had heard him, only to find his 'happy' boyfriend, dancing around in a circle, making deliberate movements with his arms and legs to form a synchronized display. The basket swung dangerously in the crook of his arm.

"Having fun?" Shigure asked rhetorically, wondering if Ayame had been inhaling anything whilst he had been out. "Guess you're excited about Saturday right? Not... nervous or anything?"

"Nervous, excited what does it matter?!" The snake cried, running up to Shigure and clutching his hands, swinging them forward and back in rapid succession. "As long as you're going to be there watching, what's the difference? It's gonna be GREAT!!"

"Yeah it will be wont it?!" It was hard not to let Ayame's excitement influence him and Shigure soon found himself dancing in circles with him, after depositing the basket safely on the ground. Like two kids playing 'Ring-a-ring-a-rosie' they grasped one another's hands and spun together, laughing and singing beneath the afternoon sun, hair shining in its light like rain soaked leaves. "You'll be a star struck sensation! An ethereal wonder of our nation!!"

"Oh Shigure you flatter me!" Ayame laughed, tugging his hands free and placing them against his hips. He rocked his pelvis forward, tapping the toe of each foot against the ground before him, then alternating to the other one. This was followed by two abrupt movements to the side and three consecutive spins as Ayame twisted his hands in the air above his head and eventually posed. "_Anyone _can do that."

Shigure 'Ahh-ed' and raised a finger in recognition. "A new dance movement! Very nice." He laughed. "Very nice indeed!"

Ayame laughed modestly. "Well of course! I'm a fantastic person, what can I say? I have been practicing quite a bit you know..."

Shigure laughed gaily and raced forward, ensnaring the other man in the circle of his arms. It was so hard to maintain a somber attitude towards Akito's dilemma when everything was going so well! He felt guilty for laughing and enjoying himself, for even being happy full stop. Because Akito never seemed to smile and be happy and that was tragic, especially for one so young. When so much death and misery hung around the main house, the soul became saturated when entering into its grounds. And the longer you stayed, the more bloated you became with it. As if every person were nothing but a great sponge, that could accumulate some part of it to take away with them. Coming out into the light was a welcome relief and Shigure couldn't help but go a little crazy. It was the hysterical, idiot happiness that might follow a near death experience when you come to realize just how lucky you are to be alive.

That was how it felt, going to the main house.

But coming home to Ayame kept him sane in this crazy world they lived in. In the wake of so much melancholy, there was that giddy crazed smile; eccentric attitude and warm loving embrace. Shigure wrapped an arm around Ayame's waist and the other around his shoulders, rocking gently from side to side. They were about the same height, Shigure taller by around an inch. It was nice though; it meant they could look directly into one another's eyes whether they were speaking, or just basking in the warmth of the others body.

"How lucky am I?" Shigure said softly as Ayame snaked his arms around his waist. "Pretty lucky... _I _think."

"Depends on whose eyes you're looking from." Ayame replied, tracing the indent of Shigure's spine with his fingers. His other hand moved further down to cup the firm muscle and he gave it an affectionate squeeze, safe in the knowledge that no one was around to see. And even if there were witnesses, he would have done it anyway.

Shigure grinned and reached around, moving the hand to the hallow of his back and then leaned in to kiss his silver haired lover. Ayame clasped the crown of his head, weaving his fingers through the dark hair as they directed their lips together. He couldn't help but feel that _he _was the luckiest one out of the two of them; after all, Shigure wasn't the one who had dreamt of moments like these his entire life. That had been Ayame's fantasy. And it had only been complete when Shigure had whisked into his shop that day and said those two words he'd needed to hear. "You win." He'd never forgotten. He would never forget as long as he lived, the way he had felt in that very moment, when Shigure had kissed him and whispered those words to him. It was the most wonderful day of his life; a dream in waking reality and now, he slept within it. Never waking from each kiss and touch as he had resigned himself to a thousand times. The only downside was that now his nights were empty and nightmares had taken root rather than the dreams he'd once entertained.

It was worth the sacrifice, just to be here with Shigure.

Ayame loved moments where they could just be still together and communicate effectively through touches and kisses. It was so quiet, yet there were the subtly nuances of sound that exploded constantly around him. The tentative sound of lips parting and then coming together again. Blood pounding in his ears and racing through to each and every pulse beneath his skin and causing them to throb. Their hearts thudding together, beneath the chests that were pressed together. It was almost as if their hearts too were trying to kiss.

Ayame loved moments like this.

"So... we gonna do this or no?" Shigure chirped once the kiss had ended. He picked up the picnic basket and hefted it high like the Olympic torch. He set his other arm around Ayame's shoulders, who placed a hand on his chest and leant into him.

"Absolutely my precious little Puppy dog!" He sang, pinching the inu's cheek. Shigure rubbed at the red mark absently as Ayame glanced at the distance hills, searching for a place that their 'happy' picnic could take place. Though there were many appealing wide open green spaces that would have served the purpose perfectly, he found his eyes drawn to one particular spot just a little beyond the Sohma family woods, on a hill overlooking the estate. He pointed it out to Shigure who groaned when he saw how far away it was.

"Okay if you insist! But we're driving, because there's no WAY in Hell I'm walking all the way up there." He grumbled making his way over to Ayame's car. Ayame beat him to, slamming one arm against the car door to prevent the dark haired novelist from opening it. His expression was uncharacteristically stern.

"_Who's _driving?" He asked pointedly. Shigure whined.

"But _I _wanna drive! I really do have a license!!" He groaned somewhat insistently.

"Whether you do or do not have one doesn't change the fact that you rolled Hari's car eating a Choc-heart." Ayame stated logically, swinging himself into the drivers' seat and buckling in. "You can hold onto the picnic basket. –And NO you can't eat anything before we get there!"

"Aww..." Shigure grumbled.

**_SCENE CHANGER_**

Shigure swatted Ayame's hand away as it edged up his shirt. The snake groaned in disappoint and flopped back onto the grass at his side.

"Oh come on Shigure... there's no one here to see... no one..."

"You don't eat desert before you have the meal." The novelist replied, forking a piece of fish into is mouth and chewing. Ayame had made all the food for the picnic himself and Shigure was quite impressed with his culinary achievement. The meal was almost as good as Tohru's.

Ayame's knew he should have known better than to have bothered Shigure whilst he was eating. The man was food oriented, he could structure his entire day around his meals and woe be to anyone who bothered him whilst he had his chopsticks in hand.

Ayame glanced around, admiring his choice of location. Whilst it had been a little out of the way the trip had been worth it in the end. They were sitting atop a hill that over looked the entire Sohma estate, that lay stretched out beneath them like a town on a toy train track with little people going about their business. The hill was framed by four pine trees positioned five meters apart from each other, with one solitary oak tree planted in the center. This, the two men took shade under, the picnic basket set out before them and various containers of food littered around. Shigure had insisted at the last minute on bringing a six pack of beer, of which four were already drained.

Ayame nibbled at the corner of a cracker as he gazed up at the dappled blue sky visible through the leaves of the tree above him. A light breeze shifted the branch slightly to the side, exposing fluffy white clouds and a streaming golden sun. Ayame shielded his eyes with a solitary hand, crossing his legs at the ankle as he stretched out.

What a beautiful day.

Whilst Ayame congratulated himself on finding such a _fabulous _location, he had to wonder just _how _he had found. It wasn't exactly easy to spot from Shigure's house, hidden amongst the very tousles of the trees' leaves. But nonetheless he had felt drawn to examine that space until he had spotted it. Almost as though his eyes magnetically tugged to focus on that particular array of trees. Just who exactly had decided to plant them that way? It was kind of... odd. Morbid even. But regardless there was a distinct romantic appeal about the whole arrangement, especially on a day when the sun was shining and there was just he hint of a warm breeze. It was spring. It was perfect for a romantic... _date_, he supposed. Though classifying it a date seemed kind of silly. That was for high school kids, not two grown men nearing their thirties. But then again... was a picnic really suitable for two grown men?

Bored with his philosophical pondering's, Ayame decided to turn his attention to something that he was good at. Seduction. Discarding the cracker to an inquisitive bird, he rolled over and slid his arms around the inu's waist, looking up at him coquettishly.

"But... without a sample, how am I supposed to know whether or not desert is worth waiting for?" He inquired, using the tips of his fingers to lift the hem of Shigure's shirt revealing tanned skin. He lightly kissed the flesh and blew on it, causing Shigure to shiver. "So... why not put down those chopsticks and give me a little taste test, hmm?"

Shigure groaned and poked Ayame in the head with the chopsticks, not making a move to release his death grip on them.

"Aya... you know you're not supposed to wait for thirty minutes after eating before engaging in any strenuous activity." He said, giving the snake a scathing look as though he were a parent catching his child pulling the cat's tail. Ayame rolled his eyes and blew a raspberry in response.

"Puh-lease! Wait that long and desert melts!" He exclaimed, sliding his hands up Shigure's toned stomach and onto his chest, tweaking his nipples slightly. The delicate buds were all too eager to comply and were soon pert from stimulation. Shigure made a little noise in the back of his throat as Ayame kissed his stomach again, flitting his tongue into his belly button cheekily.

"You'd be willing to do that _here_?" He asked as Ayame moved his lips a little higher, trailing saliva across his skin as he kissed. "And if someone were to come along and catch us, what would you do then?"

"Ignore them." Ayame stated, slinging his leg over Shigure's waist and settling down on his pelvis. He wriggled down into place against Shigure's groin, revealing in the slight hardness between his thighs as he started undoing his buttons. "Doesn't the thought of having sex out in the wild beneath a clear blue sky, on the cool green grass, excite you Gure? I feel it adds a bit of kink to the proceedings!"

"Tell that to the bug that will inevitably crawl up your ass and the backpackers that could very easily stumble across my derrière, because I don't think they'll be looking at it quite the same way." Shigure murmured, though he made no such movement to dissuade Ayame's actions. He had even put the chopsticks down. "I'm not so sure I find it that much of a turn on myself. Especially when I'm under the distinct impression that I'm sitting on a bull ant nest..."

"Element of danger darling!" Ayame cooed, finally unhooking the last button and inching open the shirt, pushing Shigure back to lay on the ground at the same time. "But you don't necessarily have to take your clothes off for us to have sex, Gure."

Shigure blinked up at him in a mixture of shock and amusement. "You're a piece of work... you know that don't you?"

"That's what _all_ my boyfriends say." Ayame sighed, lowering his mouth to within a centimeter of his lovers' already hard nipple. "Now... shut up and let me have my way with you."

Shigure opened his mouth to say something, but a peel of pleasure hijacked whatever words he had been about to speak. Ayame's wet, hot mouth slowly sucked at his pert nipple, tracing the subtle pattern of bumps with his tongue. His hands splayed across the angular muscles of Shigure's chest, tracing each one of them with a familiarity that he might possess in regards to the back of his own hand or the contours of his hips and thighs. They both knew each other's bodies so well by now. Shigure cupped Ayame's curved sides between his hands, gently rubbing the indent below the ribcage and down over the bone's that caused the feminine sway of his hips. He sighed and leant his head back into the lap of the grass, allowing Ayame the intimacy with his body that he desired. Finally, after a minute of this one sided affection, Ayame pulled Shigure's arms around him and leant down against his chest, holding him sensitively.

"Okay sweetie... what's wrong?" He asked, stroking his sides gently. "I don't seem to have your full attention, which usually means that there is something on your mind. Care to elaborate?"

Shigure smiled up at him a little apologetically. He'd let his mind wander. "I'm sorry hon. I'm still a little pooped from last night. You know...?"

Ayame's made an inappropriately coy grin whilst he pressed his face up tight against Shigure's. "If that's the case..." He whispered. "-Why not let _me _do the work for once?"

Shigure started, the way a dog might when receiving an unexpected smack. It had been an unspoken agreement between them that Ayame would always be the one on bottom. The tailor usually had no complaints about this arrangement, but regardless liked to joke that Shigure felt it would compromise his delicate male pride if he was ever the one to spread his legs. The reality was not too far from that wither. Shigure just wasn't comfortable with the notion of being penetrated. The closest he had ever come to that was the first time they had made love and Ayame had pierced him with his tongue. Whilst he _had _admittedly enjoyed the act at the time, the idea of it later was disconcerting to him and ever since he had not allowed a repeat of it. If Ayame's fingers tried to encroach on that ground he would find work for them elsewhere. And if his mouth so much as neared that area, he would firmly clamp his legs closed, unyielding even to the most torturing tickles or the annoyed pushing, until at last Ayame would roll away disgruntled. He would always forgive him in the end though.

But considering how touchy he was around the subject, he couldn't understand why Ayame would suddenly think that he would be willing to roll over (in a matter of speaking) and let it happen. The look on his face must have expressed his discomfort and Ayame sighed, looking as though Shigure had just told him to take a hike.

"Sometimes you make me question myself Shigure." He stated, leaning his head against his chest and listening to his heartbeat. This constant reliable thudding in his ear, relaxed him a little and he kissed his lovers skin intimately, showing that he wasn't angry. "I wonder... whether you don't trust me... or if you're scared to let yourself be submissive, as though I might use that against you. I... I don't want to have any doors between us Shigure. Not us." He raised his head, causing the long tendrils of his hair to fall across Shigure's face and shoulders. "Won't you open yourself up to me Shigure? Can't you trust the man who loves you?"

"I'm... just not ready for that yet, Aya." Shigure struggled, hating the thought that perhaps he never would be ready for it. Maybe he never would be ready to let someone in fully, physically and emotionally. He remembered how tight Ayame had been, their first time together. Something like that could not have been painless, as was confirmed the morning after by Ayame's lip sided gait. Shigure couldn't help but admire the strength it had taken for his friend to give himself over like that; to trust him. He had to admit; he'd always had trouble trusting people, especially when it came to personal relationships, in which so much was invested. Shigure knew how much Ayame loved him and was prepared to return in full, but there were so many barriers to kick over first and not all of them fell easily. All his life, the people he trusted the most had been Hatori and Ayame, but now he was actually _with _Ayame, it was almost as though he had forfeited that position. It was horrible to realize that, more so to think that way, but it was the way he felt. And right now he felt that there was more to hide from him, to conceal. To keep safe. And he hated it.

He looked up into Ayame's eyes, watching the snakes mouth quirk up to one side ad he leant back, using the tip of one nail to circle Shigure's gleaming wet nipple. He groaned, trying to comprehend just why it was so easy for Ayame to make him forget what it was he had been thinking about. Snake Charmer. That's what he called him in his head. All he had to do was sway from side to side and Shigure would be reduced to a drooling, incomprehensible moron. Snakes and dogs... huh... it was an interesting combination that's for sure. And why did he feel as though the coils of this particular snake were always tightening around him... preventing his struggle, eradicating his freedom?

"Why don't you give me the chance to show you just how good it can be?" The snake was hissing. "I promise I'll be gentle..." He added slyly, kissing the base of the inu's neck, twisting those coils even tighter.

Shigure groaned as he gripped his back, feeling his own body heave with anticipation despite his own intentions to deny it. "No Aya. Really... not now."

Ayame snorted and gave a toss of his head. If he had of had fangs they would surely be extended by now. "Jesus God... we _are _in a grump today, aren't we?"

"_Someone _not mentioning any names, AYAME SOHMA, kept me awake last night with his visions of extreme nervousness and anxiety, in case _we've _forgotten."

"Well if that's the way you feel then maybe you shouldn't invite me over!" Ayame snapped turning his back to Shigure and busying himself with the picnic supplies. "It's getting late, we should start heading back now before the sun sets."

His voice was prim, his shoulders stiff and straight, an indication that he was annoyed. But also a sign that he wouldn't turn down an apology. As long as it was prompt. Shigure prided himself in being able to read his best friend just as easily as he could interpret his favorite novel, read a thousand times over. Sensing the tension between them, he decided to give in and sat up, slipping his arms around the snakes' middle. With a sharp tug and loud 'C'mere!' he pulled him backwards and bundled him up, laying appreciative kisses all over his face. Eventually Ayame's adorable little pout lifted back into his familiar smile.

"Don't be angry with me." Shigure pleaded comically, still kissing Ayame's cheeks, forehead and lips with over the top puckering noises. "I hate seeing that little grumpy sad-sack face. Will you accept my apology?"

Ayame took a moment to think about it, cheeks slightly tightened to accentuate his consideration. Eventually, he gave a little nod and smiled.

"Okay... I accept." He giggled, leaning in for a proper kiss. "But you're going to have to make up for it with lots of hugs and kisses. And let that be a lesson to you!"

"I don't know if I'll be leaning that one any time soon." Shigure said solemnly, rolling onto his side and resting his chin on Ayame's shoulder. This allowed his lover to ensnare his hips with his legs and they curled up together, like two pups in a den. Ayame stroked Shigure's face with the tip of his finger, then with the side of his hand with an intimacy he'd once only entertained in his imagination. But a moment like this was so much more perfect than anything he could imagine. The clouds rolling by overhead, the orange sun highlighting the landscape with it's warm glow as it sunk down towards its bed beyond the mountains, the soft whispers of the trees. It was a world crafted for he and Shigure alone and they were here to enjoy it. There was nothing that could ruin that. Not even nightmares and gut wrenching nervousness—but wait, he wasn't supposed to be nervous! Oh dear... maybe he was after all! What Saturday had in store for him was so much more intimidating than anything he'd ever had to deal with before; Cross Dressing shop for gay men or no!

"Shigure..." He began, still deep within the serenity of the moment. "On Saturday..."

"Mmmhmm?" Shigure purred from somewhere beneath his cheek.

"... make sure that you... um, stand somewhere I can see you... Okay?"

A moment of silence passed before Shigure pounced on the opportunity like a dog on a tennis ball. His face split into a grin as if someone had sliced a knife clean across the bottom half of his face and he laughed without reserve.

"You really _are _nervous!!" He cackled, rolling away and slapping a hand to his forehead. "I should have known! Who would have ever thought that the exuberant Ayame Sohma had stage fright!!"

"It's not that improbable!" Ayame cried, trying to be heard over Shigure's unreasonable witch's cackle. "Do you remember in High School when we had the big School Production and I had to perform a dance solo across the stage?"

"Who could forget that one?!" Shigure exclaimed and burst into a fresh peel of laughter. "You danced straight into the curtains, pulled them off of the hangers with that huge battle you engaged with them and then fell off the stage into the audience! I've never laughed so hard!!"

Ayame's expression was bleak. "It may have been humorous for you, but may I remind you I required five stitches above my left eye and a cast for my right arm. Even since then I have retained a justified fear of large stages and bright dazzling lights. It's not the fear of a thousand eyes on me, it's the fear of a thousand voices shrieking with laughter in uncanny semblance to your current demonstration as I make a complete fool of myself."

"For a change..." Shigure muttered, then before Ayame could start in on him. "I wouldn't worry about it, Aya. You'll be fine. I have great faith that it will be a spectacular, stellar performance!"

"You really think so?" Came the innocent, childlike response.

Shigure nodded. "Without a doubt. And I'll be sure to stand somewhere that you can see me, so that if you do feel nervous, just look at me! And the feeling shall pass..." He fluttered his hands as if to indicate something fluttering by. Ayame battered at it playfully.

"Knowing you as I do Gure, you'll only do something to make me laugh!" He grumbled, though he did sound cheerful beneath. "As long as I can count on you to be there if I should need a quick funny fix, I'll be happy."

"Just imagine everyone naked." Shigure added helpfully.

"Can't I just imagine _you_ naked?"

"I think that would cause all sorts of problems, Aya." The novelist said forebodingly as he climbed to his feet. They broke out laughing in unison this time and Shigure held out his hand, hefting Ayame to his feet and helped him to brush off the kimono. "It really is beautiful Aya. You know, you can make some pretty classy things when you want to."

"If you think this is neat, just wait until you see what I've got cooked up for Saturday!" The snake said mysteriously, stroking Shigure beneath the chin as if he were a cat brooding for some attention. Shigure crooned in delight and examined Ayame sleazily from the corners of his eyes.

"Anything I can see prior to the premier?" He hinted, trailing his finger along the ruffled split that concealed Ayame's chest from sight. The snake twisted free, waving a finger in a scolding manner as he bent down to finish packing the supplies away.

"No you can't, Gure. You will see it on the day, before everyone else granted but that is only because I will be changing at your place and Hari will be driving us there." He said at even, glancing demurely over his shoulder. "I can only hope that it will be to your approval, my little perverted puppy dog."

"I'm sure it will." Shigure replied, buttoning back up his shirt and then kneeling down to retrieve the very sharp cooking knife they had brought to cut the fish. He examined it idly, twisting it between his fingers and spinning it as though he had some clue how to use one in a combat situation. Of course, he was only reiterating what he had seen in movies. "Ayame... can I ask you a question?"

"Of course." Ayame said, back still facing him. "As long as it's not _the _question, you go right ahead."

"Oh damn-" Shigure declared, mockingly and then laughed to show that it was really only a joke. "No. No it's not _the _question. But what I was going to ask is very little different from that. In a sense."

Ayame seemed surprised, because his movements ceased over by the hamper. His head was angled upwards though he still didn't face him.

Shigure continued. "Well... I was just wondering... how long do you think this... relationship is going to last?"

"Do you want to break up with me, Shigure?" Ayame asked softly. He sounded on the verge of crying. Shigure quickly back peddled, realizing that he had given his lover the completely wrong idea.

"No! No that's not what I meant at all!" He explained, tracing a little shape into the soft dirt beneath the grass with the knifes' tip. "What I was trying to say is something marginally romantic... if you'll let me."

Ayame sighed with relief, then his neck flushed red. "Sorry. Didn't mean to sound so relieved there, you go on Shigure."

"Well... um, what do you think Aya?" The inu asked, as his lover returned to the task of packing the supplies away. "Do you think our relationship could last as long as... these trees here?"

Ayame was quick to reply. "No."

Shigure was surprised. He raised an eyebrow. "...No..?"

"No." Ayame repeated. He closed the basket and turned to face Shigure, legs crossed over one another and knees up tight and pointed towards his chin. "These trees are probably hundreds of years old Shigure and they will undoubtedly live for many more hundreds of years. No offense Gure, but I don't think that either of us has that kind of stamina in us."

"Ah..." Shigure said, unable to hide the disappointment in his voice. His face visibly slumped. "Guess that... does make sense."

Ayame smiled and shuffled forward, reaching out to gently take a hold of Shigure's free hand. He squeezed his fingers tightly. "However..." He said. "I think that our _love _could last as long."

"Our love." Shigure stated. Ayame nodded and leaned in, kissing him softly on the forehead. A lingering kiss, that bred into two soft touches of the lips to skin. His other hand traced Shigure's firm jaw and angled his face up to look into his own.

"I know you have a hard time saying it. _Seriously _saying it, I mean." Ayame whispered, rubbing the backs of his fingers over the slight swell of his lovers' cheeks. "But I do love you Shigure. I've always loved you, you know this. Even if we were to break up today or tomorrow, or even a few years from now, there'd be nothing to stop me from ever loving you. That love will last forever, even if the _relationship _does not." He kissed him again and Shigure suddenly realized how close to tears Ayame was; how emotional this whole thing had made him. He cursed himself for bringing it up.

"Ayame-" He started, but the other man quickly shushed him, long fingers pressed to his parted lips.

"One time you stopped my protests this way, remember?" Ayame said and he laughed at Shigure's sheepish expression. "I'm all right. Really. I'm just trying to make a point, is all. And my point is that relationships are just the physical interpretation of courting love and I don't think it's something that lasts. It's a word. Love is more than a word and _that _is what lasts, when all else fades into the past."

"And where the Hell did you learn that?" Shigure asked.

"Read it in a book somewhere."

Shigure laughed and held up the knife. "All that aside, what I was originally planning to do was to carve myself a big love heart in this tree with our names in it."

Ayame frowned. "That is terrible slander to nature. I won't allow it!"

"In the name of love! " Shigure sang, to the theme of the Elephant Love medley from Moulin Rouge. "One tree in the name of love!"

Ayame laughed. "You're an idiot. But I guess I am too, because I'm actually considering letting you do this. It does seem sweetly romantic."

"And when you're up on stage on Saturday and you start to feel nervous, all you'll have to do is close your eyes-" Shigure said, gently covering Ayame's eyes with his hand and slinking up behind him to whisper in his ear. "- think of this place and remember this is where our love will remain forever carved into the trunk of this tree. So you'll know where to look, when you need to be reminded of it."

Though it was against his morals of nature, Ayame did let Shigure carve the heart into the tree. It was kind of jaggedy because the bark was hard and the top didn't round out as much as he would have liked, but it was distinctly a heart nonetheless. And right in the center, chiseled there until God forbid the tree fell down, was cut from the ground or somehow did last the test of time, were their names.

"AYAME SHIGURE"

Shigure dusted woodchips off of himself and thrust out his chest.

"Well I think that's quite a grand job, if I do say so myself." He said proudly, hooking his arm around Ayame's shoulders. Ayame could only nod in agreement, thinking that he had snared only the most romantic, if not perverted guy in the world. "Now... what say we head home and I give you a little back rub or something, hmm?"

"That would be nice." Ayame sighed and he slung the hamper into his arm, allowing Shigure to lead him off down the hill towards the car.

The air was still when the branches of the tree swayed.

**__**

SCENE CHANGER

Shigure spent the whole car drive singing, which was fine with Ayame. It gave him time to think and he liked to think while he was driving. Not as much as talking perhaps, but then what better way was there to express oneself if you were as loud and as flamboyant as he? Yes, talking whilst you were either driving or working, though sometimes distracting, made the time pass quicker. But when your traveling companion was intent of 'la-la-la-ing' until his voice box went on strike, there really wasn't much of an alternative other than contemplating ones navel. In a manner of speaking.

So he resigned himself to the thoughts in his head, as they traveled along the little back road that weaved past the Sohma estate and woods. It was a barely used track; dirt and mud mostly with the occasional weed and patch of grass that had tried to take life near the border. Ayame found it enchanting on their way up here, but now it was kind of dull in light of the thoughts he twirled in his head such as he might a strand of hair around the band of his finger. A smile was his constant companion; sometimes enhancing to a slight chuckle when Shigure attempted a note in his song that was just too high for his range. He thought it was cute, though he never mentioned it less Shigure's head swelled to titanic proportions.

Ayame knew Shigure was surprised to find out that he could cook. He was a little surprised himself, but through careful examination of himself he came across the realization that it was something of a labor of love, he had performed that day. He wanted to prove something to Shigure and that something was that he was capable of taking care of him. Perhaps even a subtle hint at the fact that he needn't be dependent on Tohru forever. It was something of a disturbing thought for Ayame, but he knew it to be true. He had been considering it for a long time. The notion that one day, he and Shigure could live together on their own, without the children. It wasn't a matter of him not liking them, to the contrary, he adored them all. Even Kyou, though the feeling was obviously not mutual perhaps as a result of the constant teasing. But it still didn't change the fact that he desired to ultimately have Shigure to himself and have that privacy away from a home that consisted of two runaways and an orphan 'housewife' as Shigure put it. It was not an admirable thought he knew, but it was human. And reasonable he thought. But maybe it meant he would just have to wait until the kids grew up and could move out on their own.

Ayame noticed that he had started humming whilst he shifted into fourth gear and shook his head a little as though to make some sense of things. He hadn't even noticed he'd been doing it. The little ditty did send his thoughts reeling off again, in a completely new direction this time and he was keen to follow them, for the memories were much fonder than the ideas he had been currently entertaining. Two months ago that little tune directed him to. Two months ago. The second time he and Shigure had made love.

__

"Wanna hear something funny?"

Ayame opened one eye lazily to focus on his boyfriend. "Not if you're going to fart and pull my head under the duvets again."

Shigure chuckled. "No nothing like that you idiot. It's kind of ironic actually, but I kinda knew before you told me, that you were in love with me."

This interested Ayame and he rolled over to face Shigure, his hips and legs exposed from beneath the blankets. They gleamed as the moonlight danced off of the dried sweat and then fell into shadow near their feet.

"Did you just? And how was that?"

"At Hatori's 21'st birthday bash we threw. Remember? I got so _pickled you guys had to drag me out of there as I was climbing on the table to belly dance to the Macarena. You insisted that you take charge of me so Hatori could go back and enjoy the festivities... though to be honest, I think he would have been glad for any kind of escape at that point." Shigure chuckled softly to himself. "You dragged me to the coat room to get your jacket and I heaved-ho all over Hatori's brand new coat. You were mortified if I recall. You left your own there for him, dragged the soiled garment and me home where you dumped me in your bed and proceeded to scrub that thing all night, just so I wouldn't get in trouble. No amount of work would fix it, I assumed because I managed to revive in time just to hear you trying to explain it to Hatori. He got so angry I thought he was going to have an aneurysm. And you... you told him that you'd borrowed it because yours was too thin and it was a cold night out. You then went on telling the biggest whopper of all time about how you'd dropped it in the mud trying to get it on and keep me standing up at the same time and how you would make him a new one. He yelled at you a bit more, told you he was very ashamed of you and you weren't to touch his things again, that you never stopped to think—yada, yada, yada and then he stormed off. Presumably home to sleep off the little vintage vodka's he'd been swilling all night. You came in to check on me and you seemed pretty upset. I guess you thought I was asleep. I did kind of play up to that assumption and kept my eyes shut. You said something... I was really too drunk to recall but it was something along the lines of; 'The things I do for you..' and then you gave me a kiss."_

"Oh NO." Ayame blanched.

"It wasn't that _bad." Shigure said with a little smile. "It was only a small one and I didn't even remember it until recently."_

"I thought you were asleep..." Ayame moaned, burying his face in the pillow and bashing his head against it. "I guess I just couldn't help myself! You looked so cute lying there all comatose and ruffled!"

"Well I am _adorable." Shigure said modestly._

There was more to it than that though. What happened before then? When Shigure had first woken up? Ayame tried to recall the conversation that had preceded that one.

__

He'd been gazing out at the moon when Shigure awoke. It was one o'clock in the morning, and the night sky was still dark and beautiful. The breeze cool from winters icy touch, but not so much so that it was a discomfort. It was relaxing and fresh. Like the sky had just popped a mint into it's mouth and every breath contained its cool crisp scent. The sky was clear and tapered with a thousand stars, blinking sleepily like the moons infant children. Ayame had pushed open Shigure's side door and was lying on his back, with his face angled towards it. He was on the side of the bed closest to the door, whilst Shigure was facing the wall, squeezed in-between the vertical surface and Ayame's smooth form. The bed was new; the mattress still not squishy in all the right places and the sheets had a starchy crisp feel to them. They made a crinkling sound when clasped between someone's fist during a moment of intense passion. Tested and proven. Shigure had decided he needed this, to christen a new start to a new stage of his life.

New relationship, new bed.

Ayame had been the first and only one he'd been in this bed with. Still wasn't squishy in all the right places though.

Shigure had sat there watching his effeminate lover for a minute or two, enraptured by the way that his body was outlined against the night sky. The full moon sent a silver sheen across one side of his body, shading in smooth patches of skin whilst leaving the inward curves dark and mysterious. The world's most perfect artist, the moon. It turned Ayame into a living sculpture. The snakes' hair was beautiful beneath it, seeming to ensnare and catch the light, then destroy it. It was bliss simply to watch him.

"Should be sleeping " Shigure sang finally. He was surprised to see Ayame jump as though he had not expected him to be awake. His head turned and entered the dark shade, so that only his golden-green eyes were visible in the black area. Shigure knew him well enough though to knew that he was smiling.

"Gure, don't scare me like that!" He scolded, poking the inu's nose. Shigure wriggled it in response. "You know how jumpy I get in the middle of the night and there's no need to take advantage of it!"

"Oh... but why when it's so easy?" Shigure teased, lowering his voice creepily. Ayame smacked him hard and then emitted a tiny yelp as a hand snaked around his curved waist and pulled him close. Shigure buried his face into the mass of platinum hair he adored so much and sighed in delight. So many years spent brushing and weaving his fingers in it, yet he never had really stopped to consider just how wonderful it smelt._ He inhaled and depicted the traces of fruits, hair spray and even deeper, the salty aroma of human sweat, clinging to the hairs very base. Ayame gently stroked Shigure's back, thinking to himself how lucky he was to be here right now. These moments he never took for granted, not a single one, no matter how small or insignificant they seemed to be at the time. He wished that he could bundle them all up together and squeeze them tight, breathe them in and make them a part of himself forever. Shigure was _his._ After all the heated words they had exchanged not too long ago, Shigure was his. And he was Shigure's._

He belonged. He was loved.

"Beautiful night."

"I've been watching the stars." Ayame chirped, resting back into the pillows with his arms crossed behind his head. Shigure leant his head on his chest, one hand placed protectively at the base of his neck, near his heart. For a moment, silence took control and they lay there bathed in it, the two of them, eyes on the sky. But the quiet could never endure between a pair such as they and the two men were fond of abusing the privilege that was speech.

"Listen to you... 'Watching the stars?'" Shigure tutted, giving his boyfriend's chest a slight slap. "If this moment became any more 'B grade Romance Movie' I may just have to whip out my notebook and write it down!"

Ayame pouted, bottom lip extended cutely to make him resemble a subservient child who hadn't gotten their way.

"Gure are you making fun of me?!" He whined, somewhat rhetorically. His voice had a purposeful babyish drawl to it, only working to boost his cuteness even more. Shigure shook his head.

"No."

"Yes." Ayame insisted, teasingly moving his face away as Shigure tried to kiss him. He pushed at his lips with his hand and laughed as Shigure started kissing them instead. "You keep this up and I'll go and sleep with Kyou again! He did so enjoy my company last time..."

"As we could all tell from the minor tremor that erupted when he rolled over and encountered you!" Shigure exclaimed, pulling Ayame's hand around his neck and leaning in for his well-earned kiss. "Frankly, after seeing the chemistry between the two of you I'm a little jealous. I certainly will not allow a repeat of the event, that's for sure."

Ayame giggled. "Oh, you're so cute when you get possessive, Shigure..." He pinched his cheek and then allowed the kiss. It was a tentative kiss, a sweet kiss. Shigure was still kind of shy about their relationship though he was imperatively good at hiding it. It would be a welcome relief the day that Shigure was entirely comfortable with it, but Ayame was content with it for the time being. And Shigure was trying and that was enough for now.

"So... find anything interesting in the stars?" Shigure asked, entwining his fingers between Ayame's and individually stroking each one. He was propped on one elbow; eyes focused on the sky revealed through the side door. "Know any constellations?"

Ayame gave a slight toss of his head as he stroked Shigure's hair. His bright eyes picked through the shadows of darkness with an inhuman accuracy, peeling away areas so blackened by the night that a normal eye could not penetrate. His vision was greater that that of a normal person probably so as an association to his zodiac animal that required intricate eyesight to be able to strike prey quickly. Be it day or night. Ayame was able to make out the tiny minute details of many an object around the room, down to the tiny splinters in the doorframe. He could see perfectly the picture frame on the bedside table and the figure constricted to within its tightly wedged frames. It was a picture of himself, working at his shop. 'Working' perhaps was a matter of opinion, considering that he was wearing bunny ears, fishnet stockings and a fluffy tail. He wasn't really all that surprised to find that this particular picture was the one that had made the mantel.

Ayame moved his eyes back to the stars. "Oh, as if Shigure!" He laughed in response to his question. "A million and one stars and I don't know a thing about any one of them."

Shigure was thoughtful. "Sometimes it's easy to be oblivious to the most beautiful things." He murmured, turning his eyes to focus on Ayame's. Ayame knew the hidden meaning behind his friends' words and the inflection made him want to cry and laugh all at once. But he did neither. He kissed him. That was more than both.

"Why the constellation question?" Ayame asked, rubbing Shigure's bare leg with his foot and sighing as the other man stroked his exposed thigh. Shigure was shifting between the sheets, edging his body up atop Ayame's. It was vaguely erotic, the cumbersome movements and the adjustments of each limb. Fingers locking through the gaps between Ayame's, legs sliding into place and teeth grazing the pulse in his neck. What sweet agony this was, complacent and sweet smelling, like fresh laundry or newly washed hair. Taste and scent, all rolled into one and all so very beautiful. How had he lived without this?

"Just... being... romantic..." Shigure said, punctuating each word with a kiss. "Many love stories have unfurled beneath the stars, Aya."

Ayame laughed with his head tilted back, exposing rich sensuous skin begging to be kissed and explored by Shigure's lips. "Our love story unfurled beneath the roof of my shop, Gure. Whilst I was wearing a Cardcaptor costume nonetheless." He raised an eyebrow in mock indignation.

Shigure chuckled against his throat, tickling the delicate skin. "I thought it looked quite becoming on you. And-"

"-'If I was that costume I'd be coming too.' Yeah, yeah I know." The snake teased, giving his lover a playful slap on the back. "That's so old Gure! I think you're loosing your originality."

"Don't you dare say that." Shigure said, in fake anger. "I-" Kiss. "-am-" Kiss. "-a genius." Lingering kiss. "And don't you forget it."

They lay there together for a while, exchanging the occasional touch and kiss until their attention turned to the stars again. Ayame poised his hand before the vast black blanket of the sky, three stars aligned between the gaps of his fingers.

"I wanted to give you a star." He said, a marginally goofy grin on his face. Shigure looked at him a little oddly. "You know, Gure! Like that old song?" He started to sing very softly, as if almost it were a secret he was not supposed to tell. " Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day. Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away "

"Oh yeah... I remember that song." Shigure said, raking a hand through his knotty bangs. "We used to sing that song when we were kids. It used to drive Hari mad!"

Ayame pouted. "I'm not that bad a singer."

"Never said you were pumpkin. But you know what he's like. I'll never forget that excursion we went on in Middle school where we sat behind him on the bus and belted out 'One-hundred-ninety-nine-thousand-and-one bottles on the wall." Shigure giggled in recognition before returning his attention back to the topic. "So... what you're saying is that you want to pluck me a star to keep in my pocket for a rainy day?"

"Well... not necessarily..." Ayame said, lowering his hand and placing it on Shigure's shoulder. "I was just thinking of leaving it up there and giving it your name. So that if I was ever lying here alone without you by my side, I can reach up and frame you between my fingers. Catch a star, you might say. Then I'd always knew that you were there with me, safe and shining."

Shigure simply stared at him and Ayame wondered if this had sounded just a tad too wanky. But then the inu smiled.

"That's a nice ideology." He said, beaming. "'Let me reach up and catch you a star, to know that you're always there with me.' ... I like that... I could use that..." He added, scratching his chin cunningly.

"It was my _idea." Ayame sulked._

"I'll thank you in a small footnote," Shigure replied, distracted. His eyes were in the sky. "Will you let me catch you your star?"

"I would be most honored."

Shigure pointed upwards. "There. That one."

Ayame laughed. "Shigure, that's the moon! You can't pick that one."

"I can too!" Shigure insisted, tossing his head proudly. "There isn't a star in the sky that shines as brightly as you. If the sky can be compared to life my love, then you must see yourself that in a million and one stars you are the one that surpasses them all. Look at it Aya! So... out there and beautiful, as if it's always boasting itself, saying; 'Look at me! Look at me!' All stars are diminished in comparison to this beautiful-" His face came closer. "-silver-" Closer still. "-moon."

They kissed.

"I'll catch you the moon Ayame." He whispered, smiling as their noses stroked together. "I'll catch you the moon."

Ayame bit his lip and pushed his tongue from the corner of his mouth. He contemplated this for a while.

"Guess that makes sense," He said finally, brushing his fingers against Shigure's cheeks and lips. "Meaning that you get to be the sun."

Shigure raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because you light up my world." Ayame said as repulsively wishy-washy as he could. Shigure pulled a face, made a disgusted sound and beat Ayame around the head with his pillow, telling him off for not taking him seriously.

'I did mean it though Shigure.

You are my sun, the light in my days when there seems to be nothing but clouds all around me. It's because of you that I shine.

Why do you think I wrote our song, if not for that?'

Ayame was whisked out of his daydream by the suffering sputter of the car engine. Shigure halted mid verse and looked over through the windshield as though he might see what was causing the problem. After he determined there was nothing to see, he turned his attention to Ayame.

"Out of gas?" He asked, pushing his sunglasses up onto the curve of his bangs. Ayame tapped the fuel gauge, hoping that the needle might jump higher. Only then did he notice that they still had half a tank. It wasn't fuel that was the problem.

"No, that's not it." He said and then gave a startled cry as the car simply slid to a jarring halt, directly in the center of the road. "Oh no. Come on baby, start for Daddy." Ayame knocked the gear back into first and tried to restart the car. It groaned and chugged at him, but despite the effort he put into the twisting of that key, the engine wouldn't turn over.

"Damn..." He grunted, smacking the wheel with his fist and leaning his forehead on it. "I just had this thing inspected a month ago! What could the problem be?"

"I'll go check the engine." Shigure volunteered, shoving the door open and swinging his legs outside.

"Shigure you don't know a thing about cars." Ayame said, smiling warmly at the inu's enthusiasm. Shigure went round to the bonnet, glaring jokingly at the tailor as he did. Ayame laughed to himself and flipped the lever, causing the bonnet to leap up. Shigure hooked his fingers beneath its raised hood and lifted it, obscuring Ayame's view of him. No steam billowed from inside as he almost expected it too and as far as he could tell nothing was leaking from it. Bored with just sitting there, Ayame pocketed the keys and hopped out to join Shigure, his head poked under the bonnet and his finger rubbing at the indent of his chin. He examined it unwaveringly for a minute before finally straightening up.

"I have come to the deduction, that the cause for this cars sudden cease in locomotion is not apparent to the naked eye." He explained in a stereotypical English type Professor voice. "Therefore I feel that we have no other option then to, how you say... _hoof it _and come back with a tow truck later."

"Okay, before we resort to anything desperate, how's about we try starting it again?" Ayame suggested, ushering Shigure away so that he could slam the bonnet back into place. They headed back to their respective seats and buckled in. Ayame slid the key back into place and turned it sharply, foot pressing down against the accelerator, hoping to jerk it into starting. He was rewarding for his efforts with more stuttered choking. "Perfect! Just peachy... we'll probably starve out here."

"We could make love to pass the time..." Shigure suggested hopefully. Ayame glanced at him and shook his head, laughing under his breath.

"Ordinarily I'd take you up on that Shigure, but this is not a patch of road I would want to get stuck on in _any _circumstance. Even if it is a sexy, compromising circumstance."

Shigure pulled his glasses free of his hair and placed them on the dashboard. "Something about this dirty, dilapidated piece of road that I don't know about?" He asked.

Ayame desperately twisted the key again to no avail. "Grah! Probably not much more than I do Shigure. I just used to hear some odd stories about it that's all."

"Ahh! Intriguing! Pray tell, we do have time to kill."

"Well... there's not much to tell. Apparently no animals can walk on this road without balking at a certain point. They just refuse to pass. Dogs whine and pull back on their leashes, sometimes running home with their tails between their legs. Horses rear up, flail, upend their riders and tear ass home. Sheep would rather run into these woods then run down this here road. No plant can survive on it. They say the ground is cursed." Ayame gave a nervous chuckle and gave the key a last, futile twist. When the car once more refused to start, he threw his hands up and smacked them down against the wheel in surrender. "No go, I guess. Anyway, the elders in the house talk and that's how I found out, listening from within the Punishment room. They don't know why it is like the way it is, but it used to lead somewhere and the end of the track wore out at some point so now, no one knows. Sometimes I used to dare Hatori to run across it and pick a stick from a tree on the other side and run back and show me as proof that he'd done it. He never did. And neither did I. Something about it just seems to chill the bones."

"Explains why you were so fascinated coming up." Shigure chortled, giving the car dashboard a hearty slap. "Maybe the old girl here doesn't like it any more then you do."

"Well... seems like some people aren't as squeamish. Look." Ayame pointed out the windshield up the road. "Someone's coming up the road from the direction of the Sohma's."

"Think it's a family member?" Shigure asked, squinting his eyes to against the sun to try and get a clear look.

"Probably Hatori come to give us Hell, I imagine." Ayame laughed undoing his seatbelt and climbing out of the car. "Nice of him to turn up right when we need him, right Shigure?"

Shigure was also climbing out of the car and he could sense the breeze blowing against them, which meant he could get a decent scent of the person. He breathed in sharply, trying to suss out the tiny factors that distinguished Hatori. Stale cigarette's, medicine, pristine clean clothes and a bland after-shave. That was Hatori. And no such scent assailed his senses. There was wood, plants, dirt and animal urine from within the woods itself but he picked up nothing human. Nothing with his nose and nothing with his eyes either.

He gazed over at Ayame.

"Are you sure there's someone there love? I don't see anyone..."

Ayame nodded firmly. "You can't see as well as I can, but he's there all right. Far away but moving towards us fast." He squinted into the sun. "I was mistaken though. It's not Hatori. And... oh! There's two of them!" A second figure had appeared from around the curve of the corner, following closely behind the other. It became clear now that they were running and running fast at that. Dangerously fast. "Hmm... don't look very old... High School kids I think, probably just playing a game or something. Still, one of them might have a mobile phone handy!" He added flashing Shigure a comforting smile.

The novelist was still gazing up the road, eyes searching. "Sorry Aya, _where _are they?"

Ayame pointed. "Just there, ahead of the bend. Even you must be able to see them surely."

"Aya I've been staring that spot for the last minute. I don't _see _anyone."

"What you think I'm making it up?" Ayame asked, a little annoyed. "You must be blind as a bat Gure honest." He pointed again. "Right _there_, look! They're coming straight in our direction and fast! See?"

"Ayame, I would be able to smell them." Shigure insisted. "There is _no one _there." He worked his way around to the other side of the car and rested his hand heavily against Ayame's shoulder. "How much beer did you have to drink again? Did you take any sort of medication before we came?"

"I don't have time to play games with you Shigure." The snake hissed, pulling his shoulder free and moving ahead of the car. "I don't know about you but I want to go home and get off this creepy road. So you can just quit your teasing, think about what you've done and I'll wave these boys down and save our butts, okay?"

"Aya, I'm not playin-" Shigure started, but was interrupted by Ayame cutting through his sentence with a loud; "HHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYY!"

Shigure prodded his ears. "Ouch. Okay, guy with sensitive hearing here."

"EXCUSE ME!!" Ayame yelled as the figures drew closer. "HI!! OUR CAR BROKE DOWN AND WE WERE JUST WONDERING IF EITHER OF YOU HAD A PHONE THAT WE COULD BORROW!? OR IF EITHER OF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CARS, YOU SEE WE'RE BOTH A BIT DYSLEXIC WHEN IT COMES TO THIS SORT OF THING SO—"

His words cut off in mid sentence and his heart stopped at the same time. The figures were around twenty feet away which was close enough to make out details. In the lead, a boy of around twenty, bleeding from a wound in his side that he was trying to staunch with his hand. Ayame felt his stomach heave. He could see intestine threatening to spill out over his taut fingers. The boy had dark hair that covered most of his face so he couldn't pick out any details there, but he could see his mouth wide with terror and terrified eyes occasionally peeking out from beneath tangled bangs. He was loping rather then running, his leg had a great tear along it blood spilling down from it but disappearing before it touched the ground. This was bad enough, but the figure that pursued him was even worse.

It was clothed in a hood and cloak but the face within the hood was completely empty. As smooth and white as an egg. But it didn't remain this way because as it got closer Ayame could see that the smooth skin was little more than a covering over what ever was underneath. It was as if the figures real face was trapped under a layer of skin that had simply grown over top of it, and the face beneath was not content to stay still. It slid around and through the thin covering Ayame was able to see the eyes glaring out from the sheathe and they were mad and venomous. They were locked on the boy. And in one hand the specter wielded a lethal samurai sword, the end tipped so sharp that with each stroking movement of his arm it sliced an inch of fabric from his cloak.

But the most awful thing by far about both figures, was not the blood, the face, nor the sword, no. It was the fact that Ayame could see _straight through them._

"Ayame?" Shigure called, seeing his lover freeze in mid yell. He seemed rooted to the spot and his lip was peeled back into a wide grimace that could have been a grin. But it his eyes were bulging; the blood vessels from behind them expanded to such a degree that it almost seemed they would simply pop from his sockets at any second. His body and face were shaking to a near comical degree. "Ayame?"

"Get... back in the car..." Ayame squeaked, thinking only to protect Shigure at this point. He physically felt as if he were unable to move, that fear had glued him as to the ground and roots had sprouted from his feet. The closer the figures came, the more he felt so. "Shigure... get back in the car..."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Shigure asked heading for him. Then he caught it; the hint of a very distinct smell, one he'd never registered in such a degree before but familiar nonetheless. Fear. Ayame wasn't just frightened. He was terrified. He literally stank of fear. "Ayame honey, just come over to me. Okay just come here." He said firmly, reaching out his hand for Ayame to take. The snake wouldn't even turn to face him; his eyes remained focused on the road ahead of him. Unwaveringly.

"I cant..." Ayame sobbed and tears were welling in his eyes. He was so scared. The figures were now ten feet away and closing fast. They would reach him in a matter of seconds. "I can't move... get back in the car now... please Shigure..."

"Ayame, what's wrong? What do you see?" Shigure asked and he felt sick to the pit of his stomach. He had not a clue what was going on, but he knew that he didn't like it. He could tell when Ayame was playing a game and this wasn't playing; this was deadly serious.

The blank faced specter swung at the boy and the sword tore a strip of skin from his back. A silent scream erupted from his throat and his head snapped back, bringing him within lunging distance of Ayame as he stumbled. This was enough to break whatever trance had been cast over him and from his mouth erupted a choked moan that escalated into a pitching scream. Shigure jerked visibly as Ayame turned and ran towards him. They collided, but he didn't have time to fall. Ayame jerked him along beside him with inhuman strength back towards the car and physically bodied him inside the passenger door, scrambling in after him. He slammed the door behind him and buried his face into Shigure's chest, whimpering audibly and shaking like he'd just fallen into a frozen lake. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was trying to pull both himself and Shigure beneath the dashboard to hide.

"Shigure..." He sobbed and then screamed again as the whole car rocked from side to side as two figures bodily shoved by it. Shigure didn't see what had caused the motion, but he felt it and now he understood.

There had been something there. Ayame _had _seen something. And that something had almost damn near tipped the car off of its wheels. He squeezed the silver haired man against him tightly, stroking his hair and trying to understand.

"Ayame... what did you see?" He asked.

Ayame whimpered and swallowed dryly. His eyes found the rear vision mirror and he uttered another choked cry. "Still there!" He yelled looking over his shoulder. Despite his fear, he knew he had to see. "Shigure there were two people I told you! They're still-"

He stopped mid-sentence. The Blank faced specter had closed some distance between himself and the boy and he lunged forward in a beserker like motion, slashing diagonally across the mans back. The forward figure staggered and fell to his knees on the road, still trying to hold his guts in. Ayame watched spellbound, trying to ignore Shigure's badgering. He _had _to see how it ended. Somehow... he just _had _to.

The Blank faced figure circled around to the side of the boy who raised his head to look at him. His bangs fell aside but he was facing the other way and Ayame couldn't see his face. But he could see his mouth move. He said something to the specter. Something that was brisk and caused his lip to snarl as he spoke the final word.

Then the Blank face dropped the sword down and decapitated him.

Ayame gasped in revolt and gagged as the head was sliced so brutally from the shoulders that it was knocked to the other side of the road. It fell in amongst the trees and bushes and disappeared from sight. Gore poured from the stump where the boys' head once was and then he slumped forward onto the ground, hand falling limp allowing his guts to hang free. Shigure jumped as Ayame heaved and swung the door open, vomiting heavily onto the ground outside. He gagged twice more and spat, head hanging down almost to the tainted dirt itself. He had the horrible distinct feeling that he was being watched, aside from Shigure and he raised his head ever so slowly and gazed over towards the road from which they had just traveled, where the specter now stood. Through the silver tangles of his hair, he could make out the body posture of the Blank faced one and those awful skin clothed eyes were now aimed at _him._

"Run..." Ayame hissed and he sounded strange, even over the pounding of the blood in his ears. "Get out of the car and run Shigure."

"And leave you here? I think not." Shigure said jumping out of the car and grasping Ayame's hand to assist him over the vomit. "Mind telling me what we're running from?"

"Maybe later..." Ayame said and started to tug Shigure along behind him. "How far to the Main House?"

"On foot? Ten minutes at most and considering we're running-" Shigure yelled as they broke into a fast paced trot. "I'd say, eight minutes. After all we're not exactly fit and you just vomited which won't help and-"

The ground started to shake beneath them, so violently Ayame momentarily mistook it for an earth tremor. But when he turned he realized he was wrong. The specter was indeed pursuing them and with every footstep, the ground rattled beneath them.

"What the Hell is going on?!" Shigure yelled, tugging furiously at Ayame's arm to force him to keep pace. He wasn't much fitter, but he hadn't just thrown up either which meant he could run slightly faster. "Ayame, come on! What are we running from?!"

"I... I don't know!!" Ayame cried, risking another glance behind them. The figure was closing in fast and seemingly so because it, unlike them, was not tiring. "Something dead... a ghost I suppose.. WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP AND RUN!! YOU KNOW WHAT THAT THING WILL DO TO YOU IF IT CATCHES YOU?!"

"No, but I'm guessing you have a pretty good idea."

"I have a painfully good ide-" Ayame choked in mid sentence and slowed to a walk. Shigure tried to keep his forward momentum but Ayame's grip prevented it.

"Aya?" He asked softly.

Ayame didn't move an inch. The Blank Faced specter had appeared an inch before his nose and it was staring straight at him. The sword dripped blood at its side but it made no move to use it on Ayame. The figure simply raised one arm and wrapped it around his body, drawing itself in close as though it meant to hug him. Ayame backed away, flailing his arms at it wildly.

"What??! N-NO!!" He screamed and then his entire body buckled at the waist and he clutched at his head as the specter sank inside of him, overtaking his senses. It was a dominant power and it pressed down on him from all sides, sinking his own consciousness like a rock puncturing a hole in a life raft. Ayame's body spasmed and the hands clutched at his hair, scratching the scalp beneath as the new conscious tried to make sense of the body that it was in.

"Ayame...?" Shigure asked again and this time, he sounded really scared. There were tears in his voice.

Ayame tilted back his head. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The scream erupted from him, primal and animal. But it was his own scream and it was the most horrifying noise Shigure had ever heard. It was the sound of primitive fear and at the end it was swallowed. _He _was swallowed. The green eyes faded to bleached unseeing white and choked moaning noises gurgled from deep within his chest. White froth accumulated on his lips, soon reddened by blood as the teeth punctured the tongue and a strange, feral bird type cry was barking from his mouth. Shigure darted forward in a moment of bravery and grabbed this _thing _that had been his lover and slapped it hard across the face. He screamed at those white unseeing eyes.

"What are you?!" He roared. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH AYAME?!!"

The creature made no response, it just continued to spasm and twitch in his arms spitting saliva up against his cheeks and face. Unseen by Shigure the specter emerged from the other side of Ayame and disappeared into the woods, sword trailing blood behind him. Blood that never stained the ground. Ayame made an odd hissing noise and opened his mouth wide, so wide that the jawbones dislocated and the corners of his mouth began to crack and bleed. Shigure stared in fascinated horror as Ayame's upper canines lengthened to long sharp points and he lunged forward, trying to sink these points into his neck. The inu gasped and managed to push Ayame away and onto the ground. The snake staggered back to his feet, head tipped unnaturally to one side and a forked tongue flickered from between his teeth. Shigure grimaced.

"Forgive me love..." He whispered and clasping one fist inside of the other, swung at Ayame with all his might. He connected in the jaw and lifted him up for a second before depositing him on the ground, unconscious. Shigure sunk down next to him, pressing a hand over his mouth to keep from crying out loud.

"This can't be happening..." He whispered, feeling like he too was going to be sick if he didn't find someway of holding it in. "This can't be real..."

The forked tongue still protruded from between Ayame's lips. Shigure slid it back inside not wanting anything to dissuade him. Then he knelt, hooking one arm beneath Ayame's knees and the other around his shoulders and lifted him up. He would carry him back to the main house. Even if it took him all night...

Authors note: Eek! That creeped me out just writing it! Sometimes I wonder exactly what screwed up junk I keep inside my mind... anyway please R and R, but resist flaming me please. And to be a huge spoiler, don't worry! Aya will be okay! No one dies in this story; they just get really big boo-boos. ...Except for that guy who had his head chopped off. ...

...But he got better.

Ahh, translation of the French you read so very far up! Well here you go, all you people who can't read or speak fluent French. That'd be, all of what, everyone who reads this fic?:

Ayame: "Hey there handsome. You look cold... Is there anything I can get for you? Something to warm you up, perhaps?"

Shigure: "Yes... Yes that would be good."

Ayame: "Wonderful! We'll start by getting you out of those clothes and into something – _hot_..."

****


	5. The Rattlers Hiss

****

Born to be Broken.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I wouldn't be here. I'd be using all that money to buy me a half-decent bikini waxing, a French manicure and a full body massage. Because that would mean I was rich and could afford little luxuries like that. It would also mean I'm Japanese.

****

Note: Uh... trying to think of something note-worthy to say... Hmm... My main goal of the last chapter was accomplished: I scared people with the Blank Faced Specter which is the least scary of the apparitions I still have up my sleeve, let me tell you! (Holds up sleeve and several pairs of glowing yellow eyes glare out from within.) I will be honest with you dear readers; I have not slept well since I wrote that last chapter and I doubt I will sleep easy until I finish this damn fic. The things I do for publicity—I mean, uh, my beloved readers! (Cheesy grin.) Lots of Akito in this chapter, for my fellow Akito fans and I will try and answer some questions as well. Not many though, I need some fuel for my upcoming chapters too! Okay, now to thank the reviewers who have reviewed thus far! (If I don't mention you, I apologize. It means that you have reviewed following my writing of this chapter.)

Defafaeth Mechqua: To you too! I hope that means you are enjoying it!

Demeter1: (Laughs.) Yes, I too enjoy the thought of Ayame in a teensy weensy little non-existent scrap of material! I thought that might be a bit much, but then I thought back to the Ayame we have seen on the show and realized that it is totally plausible! (Laughs again.) Yes there will be plenty of Akito in this chapter to quell your Akito needs and do not despair; he is not drowning in the shower. He is half in and half out of it. Though that doesn't really explain which half is in the shower but I don't think I need to go into that. (Sweatdrops.) The French was just a throwback to the show, when they speak French to one another. I was worried it might slow the flow a little, but I hoped it would be in keeping true to their characters. (Though it was a bitch trying to translate those sentences! I myself do not speak the language, though I did get A's for it in Year 7!) The 'lucky' thing will be coming to light soon, so I hope you'll stick with it a little longer. As for the Apocalyptic Evil and the Blank Faced Monster, all I can say is that _everything _is related in this story. I don't mention anything if it does not have some kind of influence on the plot and characters. I'll leave it at that. 

rileycharlotte: Well I'm glad that at least someone here can speak and understand French! Though I will resist from using copious amounts of it or writing an entire French formatted fic just to show off! (Laughs.) In a sense, I'm glad it scared you! Seems that I'm writing this thing the right way then. That Blank Faced Specter is something that's always given me the creeps in my own tangled imagination, so I thought I'd let him out to go on a bit of mayhem for everyone else's enjoyment (and fear) too! Worse then him to come though, so if you like being scared so much I hope I won't disappoint you! (Fangirl bow.) You didn't do one, but I thought I would anyway!

HelloKat: I'm so happy that people are finding this spooky! Is it really fun to read? _I _think it is, but that's because I'm kind of self-obsessed. Glad you think it is though and I hope you'll continue to enjoy it!

SniperKitty: HelloKat and SnipperKitty... seem to be having a cat epidemic around here... Well, N E way, you shouldn't read such spooky fics late at night if they're going to scare you that much! (See's her moving to close the page.) NO! NO!! STOP THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!! I'll have you know that I actually wrote this fic late at night, and even I was doing the whole 'looking-over-shoulder-thing-towards-the-door' routine. I'm well aware of how creepy it can be where it's dark _and _when there is a full moon outside. (Closes curtains and shudders.) Thankyou for saying my writing's beautiful! I think it can be pretty shit at times, so therefore I'm one of those people who love themselves but tend to be insecure about other people's opinions... (Shrugs.) Oh well! Thankyou very much! And I most definitely agree about Ayame/Shigure. (Obviously.) There are _so _canon in the Furuba relationship line-up yet half the world seem oblivious to it! (Including the damn writers!) I'm sick and fed up of Ayame/Shigure/Hatori fics and to be honest, Hatori with _either _of those two! Hatori is diddly squat STRAIGHT!! He has about as much kink in him as Ayame's hair! Exactly what the HELL makes people think that he would be compatible with Ayame or Shigure is beyond me or why he would even hop into bed with both of them at the same time. These are three grown men, they should have stopped experimenting in College not that Hatori would have been experimenting anyway since he is too mature to ever do anything of the—(Sighs and counts to twenty.) I'm sorry. I've started off on my second favorite rambling topic, falling just short of 'Why Akito isn't a bastard.' But I won't get started again. Back to your comments my dear. Yes there are far too few fics about Ayame/Shigure but my friend "rileycharlotte" is, as we speak, writing a grand fic with those two crazy fellows as one of the couplings so if you need more of them, simply read her story! I'm glad mine makes up for it somewhat too! They certainly need more support than a certain other threesome that I will not stain this fic with mentioning again. And yes, Akito is coming back. I'm extremely fond of my evil wittle cwumpet and there will be plenty of angst for him hence forth, but also some sweet fluffy lovey, dovey stuff too. He needs a cuddle that poor thing...

emily: Sorry, didn't mention you last time! (Sweatdrop.) Yes my fic is rather nice don't you say? (Gets hit over the head by Wallbug; my editor.) Ouch! Okay, sorry I'll try and be more modest! N E way, thankyou emily and I hope you will keep reading. That is, if I haven't offended you by not commenting on your review sooner!

Now without further ado, the next chapter! I shall keep you waiting no longer!

__

"You woke up screaming aloud

A prayer from your secret god

You feed off our fears

And hold back your tears, oh

Give us a tantrum

And a know it all grin

Just when we need one

When the evening's thin

You're a beautiful

A beautiful fucked up man

You're setting up your

Razor wire shrine

Cause you're working

Building a mystery

Holding on and holding it in

Yeah you're working

Building a mystery

And choosing so carefully"

(-**Taken from the song "Building a Mystery" by Sarah McLachlan.)**

Akito knew nothing to do, but to follow the voice. He made his way through the hallway of the Main House, seeking the source of the mysterious singing that weaved through the walls all around him. His footsteps fell against the floor unnaturally loud and echoed onward into the time in which they should have rightfully faded. It was a dream he knew, for no reality condensed your movements down to the constriction of air that was as thick as melted treacle and limbs that felt old and rusted. When he turned his head, the world blurred and swung into double copies before settling into place again. And his actions in dreams were never true to what they would be in real life. Later he would think back at them and wonder why he had not chosen an alternative course of action. But Akito knew very well at this point that dreams were almost always never to the control of the dreamer. In fact, it was as if they were ordained by an outside will that plunged a hand into his own consciousness and took over.

Because Akito knew that he wouldn't aimlessly wander the hallways like this without a cane in hand and nary a clue in his head as to what he was doing. But a dream justified that, if it did not forthright explain the reason, it hovered in the background willing itself to be known and presented at the appropriate moment. The reason here was this haunting song; this woman's voice so thick with melancholy that one could not help but feel compelled to cry with each lulling word.

Akito pushed open a side room and peered inside. A lantern bobbed within the center of the room, swaying back and forth as if held by an invisible hand. The flame flickered lightly to match the movement and Akito was enamoured by it.

"Nothing in here." Kureno said, walking up behind him, his figure blurring as a result of his movement. "Might as well try upstairs."

Akito turned to address him but he'd already disappeared up the hallway. Denied the interaction, the turned back to examine the lamp. The glass containing the petite orange flame was dusty but as he watched the grime was pushed aside and lines were cleaned. A distinct word was formed.

"Lucky."

Akito slammed the door shut and moved away. He heard it slide back open and the lantern followed him out into the hallway. Only this time a figure appeared to be holding it. Akito recognized him; didn't know him very well, they hadn't crossed paths much but he knew of _him. Ayame Sohma. The snake. He walked up beside Akito and swung the lamp in his face, making sure that the word shone bright with the flame illuminating it from behind it. He pointed to it, as if to make sure that Akito could not miss it._

"You still can't face it..." He jeered and flounced ahead into the shadows. In darkness, his body disappeared so that the lantern once more seemed to swing by itself. "You can't face the fact that you're all alone while everyone else can live and be happy. You're angry because you once knew what it was to not be alone, to not be bitter, didn't you? I wouldn't exactly call our family lucky you know... but if you had to call anyone lucky, who would it be Akito? Would it be the one that you could love?"

"I... I don't know..." Akito said, though he wasn't sure why he felt compelled to answer. Ayame was the snake after all. He paused and seemed to consider the surrounding walls, then the ember of the flickering lantern light itself. His pale face shone orange in the glow. "All I want... is to know what all this _means... All this sorrow, this spite... this grief that saturates everything..."_

"Don't we all?" Another voice asked. Akito glanced to his side to see an open door, peering into darkness beyond. A tiny firefly of light hovered near the frame and Akito saw that it was a cigarette. The dark haired Shigure inhaled on the cylinder then leaned his head forward into the light, smiling sardonically as if he intended to share some great joke. "You're not the only one who wondered such things, Akito. Those that came before you asked themselves those exact questions a hundred times before... and it ended up driving them mad. They weaved their web into a tangled knot from which the mind cannot escape. Do you want to follow blindly in their footsteps, chasing sought after ideals of which none have succeeded in finding?" He blew out a stream of smoke in Akito's face and suddenly faded away. No magicians illusion, he simply vanished. The cigarette spiraled toward the ground and bounced once before coming to a rest. Akito instinctively trod on it and naturally burnt his foot. He cursed and held it up with one hand, rubbing at the black burn mark with his fingers, trying to ease the sting.

"Why did you do that?" Another voice asked, without concern. Akito glared at Hatori, who stood in the light of a nearby window, also smoking a cigarette.

"I didn't want the house to catch fire, that's why." He explained logically and set his foot back down, glancing around for the offending cigarette. It was gone.

"You fear that something so small could cause an almighty catalyst..." The doctor pondered, fingers perched on his chin and still clutching the cigarette. He drew on it thoughtfully and blew out a puff of smoke. "Perhaps you feel you have to stamp out these problems before they become so large that they could destroy everything. Yet... you do not consider, that some use could come of these things, to others." He indicated the cigarette, then he too disappeared in an anti-climatic fade and the flaming cylinder fell to the floor once more. Akito rushed to stamp it out, watching the red burn a mark on the floor similar to the one that now adorned his foot, but another figure beat him to it. Ritsu Sohma, the monkey, snatched it up and crushed the ember against the wall.

"Others could take care of these problems," He said, throwing the squished butt out the window and turning his dark eyes to Akito. "You never take the chance that things might sort themselves out, you always take the aggressive action that more often than not, ends up hurting others and yourself."

"If I don't act quickly-" Akito began, but Ritsu cut him off.

"Working quickly is not as important as working kindly." He murmured, walking away towards the stairs. He looked back once and then began to fade slowly out of vision. "Curses are the negative actions and cruel consequences of cruel actions. We must never forget less we bathe in our misfortune forever. We are not lucky. We pay for it, with bad luck. We pay for our mistakes, by forever making mistakes, until the end."

"The end...?" Akito whispered. But Ritsu was gone and had no answer. There was a tug on his sleeve and the master glanced down to see the boy, Hiro, with his fist clasped firmly around the material. He gave another determined tug to make sure he had his attention and then pointed in the direction Ritsu had gone.

"Around the master, the zodiac circles. Like the earth orbiting the sun, like the moon orbiting the earth. There is a center to it all, but not even at the very center are there answers to the questions we all seek. Before we find new answers, we must remember the ones we have forgotten. Only then can everything move forward, toward the end."

"What end?" Akito asked again, but once more his question was ignored. Hiro faded away, his eyes still set on the stairs and his hand still clasped on the sleeve, the pressure only eradicating when his hand too was gone.

"There are answers to be found if you seek them." Came Ayame's voice and Akito saw his face appear in the light the window threw inside. He smiled and gestured to the stairs with the lantern and his head. "But first you must accept the past you refuse to face, the past that poisons you, that you allow to poison you. You can only accept when you understand the answers that you couldn't understand then. Then, the answers will come. When you ask, they will fly back to you as if carried on the wings of a bird. You should start upstairs. Many secrets lay hidden upstairs. It is the first step, to unlocking your past."

At that, the lantern snuffed out and darkness encased everything. Akito felt his heart thud into the wall of his chest and he plunged forward toward the stairs, hoping to find some solid structure to cling to. It was not the stairs he found, but the hand of another. He tried to make out the face in the darkness but there was only a vague outline. He thought it might have been Kureno, but the figure was taller and had longer fingers. He felt them intertwine with his own and gently nudge him forward.

"Luck is on your side." A voice said, a voice he didn't recognize. "Now... let's go upstairs and find that which you have lost. Don't be afraid. Nothing will happen to you while I'm here."

"... I don't even know who you are..." Akito whispered, though he still allowed himself to be lead slowly up the stairs. Each board creaked beneath his footsteps but the figure ahead of him seemed to distribute no weight at all. There was a slight chuckle at his statement, but it was gentle. Non mocking.

"No. Not until you're ready." It simply said and by then they had reached the top of the stairwell. The figure rested its hand on the door to Akito's room. Without hesitation he shoved it open and stepped back so that the light from within would not open his face to Akito's inspection. A hand rested into the small of his back and gave him a coaxing push toward the doorway. Akito took the hint and stepped inside, noting that the singing had increased in strength. It was definitely coming from this room. He gazed around in the fading light and finally settled on the source. A woman with long black hair was highlighted against the circular window, her head craned back slightly as she sang, crooning almost to the ceiling. In her hands she held something large and white, Akito couldn't see in the bad light. He stepped closer trying to make out what it was. Finally, he was able to tell that it was a pillow and she was squeezing it tightly between her hands, then up against her chest. Her eyes were closed as she stepped toward the bed and, still singing; gently pressed it down against the other pillow that lay there. A lump stirred beneath the covers and then a stifled scream and the blankets began to flail, tangling into a thick twisted canopy of sheets. Still the women continued to sing soothingly, eyes shut in contentment as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. Akito couldn't fathom any of this, but he didn't like it. He staggered backwards, a cry choking in his throat.

"Stop..." He croaked and then gasped as the creaky floorboard gave a despairing screech beneath his feet and collapsed. His foot sank straight through the floor down to the knee, the splinters of wood impaling him through the leg. Akito screamed and desperately tried to tug himself free, only to see the woman's eyes turn to focus on him. He wished she would close them... they were the white of victims who had either hanged themselves or choked to death. Her lips drew back in a snarl and she gave a defiant thrust downwards' with the pillow, silencing the cries once and for all.

"You really should get that thing fixed." Kureno said idly examining the hole in the floor.

'Come out of there little one... that's enough for now...'

Akito stirred in his sleep, eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks. He made soft murmuring noises against the wet floor and his fingers twitched slightly. His hair was gently swayed to one side of his head by a sensitive hand. The same hand then trailed down to slightly lift his chin.

'Wake up now... no more of that. Wake up sweet one and get off of this wet floor before you catch a cold.'

"Catch a cold..." Akito murmured, still asleep. His head tucked down, away from the prompting of the hand but his fingers caught against the others as they moved away. They squeezed them slightly, bending them down so they cupped the raise of their own fingers, nursing them affectionately. "Catch a... cold..."

"You will if you don't get up soon... come one now... No point in laying there all afternoon."

"Don't... want to get up..." Akito said, slowly beginning to gain consciousness. His eyelids flickered open for a brief second and then closed again. He pressed his face further down towards the rise of his own shoulders as if trying to curl up and hide. "No... point... die anyway... be still forever... no more getting up..."

'But you're alive now, aren't you? That means that you can still get up and keep moving.' Another hand came down and with some hesitation rested against the drying crown of Akito's head, rubbing the hair softly with only the thumb. Akito's eyes slowly opened as he registered the contact and he painfully tried to turn his face to see. 'It's hard, I know... but nothing's quite easy now, is it? All things good are worth working for. So you'd best get up... Okay?'

The contact left him and a shadow threw itself over Akito's body as the sun from outside was obscured by the figure. Akito tried desperately to make out who or what it was, but his eyes were too blurry and the sun too glaring in his eyes. The figure gazed down at him for a second longer and then seemed to blur down to nothing. It was moving toward the door and in a second, was gone as if no one had had ever been at all. But Akito remembered the touch; his hair was still compressed by the weight of the hand that had been touching him.

"Wait..." He drawled, trying to sit up. His whole body ached and it was a pointless effort. He blinked a few times and rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear his vision and that at least seemed to yield to his efforts. Soon, he could see well enough to make sense of things again, though it was too late now.

Akito shook his head and tried to remember what had happened. He had been showering and something had come at him from nowhere... something invisible. It had been touching him intimately and then had disappeared, leaving him confused and humiliated. Then... he had fainted. Akito winced as he used his hands to push himself into a sitting position. He had collapsed half in and half out of the shower, thus rewarding him with a glaring bruise along the center of his stomach where he had made dramatic contact with the ridge supporting the shower door. He also had a bump on his head from the floor and a throbbing abrasion on his hip that had scraped the side of the door. He took a moment to calculate his injuries fully, before becoming aware of the stinging feeling on his back. This caused him some distress, for he would have liked to believe that the event he proposed was a dream preceding his fainting was but that; a dream. And the scratches he found adorning his back were proof that it was not so. There was a full-length mirror in the room and once he had managed to drag himself to his feet, Akito made his way over to it and turned around to examine his back. True to his suspicions, there were ghastly red lines covering the length of his spine and shoulders, some so deep that they had drawn blood. But what disturbed him most were the distinct red handprints he could make out, outlined vividly against the pale skin of his buttocks. There were black bruises also surrounding them.

"Dear God..." He muttered, gently touching one of the scratches with his hand. He hissed at the pain it caused. "Still... considering the state I was in when I fainted, I should be thankful I'm not infertile." He glanced quickly at his inert organ just to make sure that it had not encountered any damage in his collision with the floor. Akito came to the conclusion that he must have grasped the side of the door as he went down and landed on his side, rolling over at some point during his sleep. Otherwise he would not have been surprised if he _had _awoken infertile. It would serve him right really.

The shower was still running, but Akito wasn't too concerned with wasting hot water. It was his predecessors' money that paid for everything around him and as such, he had a right to be wasteful. Unlike the others; namely Shigure who couldn't salvage a door to save his life. Heaven forbid the money that was wasted on his house could have been prevented if he had only chosen to stay within the grounds instead of running away. Akito inhaled sharply, realizing that there was no use getting angry with Shigure for wanting a little space. After all, hadn't he allowed him to go in the first place? He _was _the dog and that small comfort; the ideal of loyalty was the only reason he had let him off of his leash to roam free. But sometimes he regretted it. Shigure was the only one besides Kureno that he could speak freely to, though he knew that he did not agree with what he said at the best of times. But still... it was awfully quiet now that he was gone. And with him Yuki and Kyou... not that he missed Kyou, but Yuki... it was no such much the absence of his presence as it was the absence of control. From a very early age, Akito had been taught how to individually treat each and every zodiac member and none had been more important a lesson then how he was to treat Yuki. The Family Elder's had not been pleased when he had allowed Yuki to leave, but truth be it that Akito was tiring of the game's he played with him. It was boring to say the least and non-profiting. He knew Yuki cared nothing for him, yet it was that overwhelming sense of power that enticed him back for more of the mental torture that he inflicted on him. But now, with Tohru standing in the way there was no longer any point to it. He tired of it long ago and now he had the perfect excuse to cease the exercises completely.

It just wasn't important anymore. Akito wanted _peace_. And even more so, he wanted that same kind of understanding that Tohru offered to Yuki and had once offered to him. But not from her. Being gay naturally meant that he had no interest of that kind towards her, but he loved the idea of her. Her kind nature, her understanding. And too often he had wished that someone would understand _him _the way she understood all the others and tried to understand him. But the thing with Akito was that he was too complex to even understand _himself. _There were too many tangles and webs weaved within his persona that only the most patient of people would be able to sit down and weave through with him. As much as he hated to admit it, Akito wanted to be looked after. To be protected. To be shown mercy and compassion, which he himself denied, for it was forever denied to him.

After all, he was the spider. The vessel for the consumption of souls. That was the truth he had to live with day in and day out.

Sighing, Akito reached out and turned the taps, choking off the floor of water. He examined his nails and scowled when he saw that they were still caked with blood. Hadn't that been the point of his showering in the first place? Still, he wasn't prepared to repeat the process just for the sake of his nails and decided to pick the blood out later with something suitably sharp. Right now, he needed to think. _Away _from the bathroom.

Akito made his way over to the towel he'd set out and quickly dried himself; hissing at the cloths' contact against his abused back. There wasn't much to be done about his hair and he settled for a rough towel dry and a rake through with his hand. The cabinet mirror still dripped with the words that had been drawn there and Akito found it hard to deter his eyes from them. 'Creak, creak, creak' and 'lucky.' What was he to make of that? That was folderol... nonsense. Balderdash. Akito mentally went through a list of words that seemed to adequately describe the nonsensical gibberish. Considering what he had just endured, he felt he deserved a better explanation then _that. _He was ashamed of himself for fainting at the sight of them, but the reaction had seemed barely within his own control. Something inside of him had just snapped at the sight of the words, as though an unconscious part of himself had recognized the significance. But his brain had shut down on itself before he'd been unable to make the connection. This disturbed Akito, so much more so because he had seen a similar reaction before. The victim's of The Dragon's Touch; those that had had their memories erased. Akito had once witnessed Momiji's mother faint at the sight of her own son, whom she had allowed herself to 'forget' when his presence became intolerable to her. This had been explained by the Elder's as a 'Trigger'; which was the main cause of why those who'd had their memories erased were supposed to be kept away from anything or anyone that might jump start their memories. Hatori spoke with Kana from time to time, but he very rarely saw her if ever. Momiji was supposed to keep out of sight of his mother, less he undo the effect of the hypnotism and there had been cases in which people who had learnt of the secret nearly regained their memories following the erasing process, simply at the sight of one of the cursed. The procedure was nearly always fool proof however and Akito found it difficult to recall any cases he'd heard of where an individual had successfully regained their memory of the event they'd been made to forget. He looked up at the words on the mirror and a chill ran down his spine. He'd fainted just like Momiji's mother, whose brain had closed in on itself before it had been able to access the hidden memory of the child she didn't even know she had. Had Akito's brain too shut down to prevent him from remembering something? Or had the fear of the situation simply become too much for him to handle?

One thing was for sure; he wasn't going to figure anything out standing around in a towel. There was the dream to consider, as well as the words and the figure he thought he had seen upon waking. Or _thought _he had seen. Whatever the case, they were circumstances best thought about with dry clothes on his back and the essence of the bathroom far behind him. He finished toweling off and then eased himself down to retrieve his robes from the floor. He gazed at them with disdain. If he had to, he would call this ensemble garment his default costume, for it was the attire he wore the most often out of any other. Not that he was particularly fond of it or had a dire lack of other suitable clothes, oh no. The reality was quite a par removed from that.

The outer robe was a pale red that was more relaxing on the eye then it was harsh. It was worn over top of the white robe, which was fashioned to the waist by the black cord. Though it was tailored for his miniscule figure, Akito found that the damn thing tended to be falling off of him more and more recently. He supposed it was due to his substantial drop in health, not to mention weight. He could fit into size six clothing without even needing to breath in or tape himself into it. But there was nothing attractive about his thin frame, or so he felt. There had only been one point in his life when Akito had been happy about his appearance and that was during the months prior to Tohru appearing in the Sohma household. Well... perhaps happy was not the right choice of word. Better to say that he was _content _with how he looked. His weight, though still less then what was considered healthy, gave him a fine slimming effect that in turn made his legs and body look even longer then they already were. And whilst he didn't find his face appealing at all, he could look into the mirror and not hate what was staring back at him. For a while. Now, there was no middle ground. And the robes that he was intended to shuffle about in until the day he died, only made him feel more conscious of himself. For the robes' colors and even the way in which they were worn, were a secret message to anyone who knew how to read it. In his case; just about everyone who lived in the Sohma Estate. They could look at what he was wearing and immediately decode his current status. The white and red kimono traditionally represented Lordship, authority and leadership over the clan, but within the Sohma's both took a whole new respective meaning. Whilst the prior was still true, there were more important qualities that were made obvious through the wearing of the garment. The white kimono worn underneath was supposed to represent the physical purity of the wearer, mostly so in regards to sexuality and virginity. It was shielded by the red robe that symbolized the position of higher authority that distanced himself from all other individuals that stood in his presence. Red was the color of power, fertility, life force, vitality, determination and good luck; all qualities that were thought to be possessed of the perfect Family Master. Akito found it ironic that he had not any of the last four qualities; perhaps with the exception of determination. _That _he knew he had. He'd expressed it quite considerably during his many attempts to dissuade Tohru from remaining with the Sohma's. As for the prior two qualities, well... power and fertility just came with the job description, passed on by his mother before him and so on. Those other qualities you had to earn.

Akito thought back to what he had learnt about the symbolism of the robes, even as he was slipping them back over his shoulders. If the red robe was removed before an individual, it shows that the wearer is giving himself or herself over to the person they stand before. This was part of a custom following the Family Master's marriage to their suitor; to express their willingness to surrender to them that which the white robe represented: Their virginity. White also represented psychic matters, dispelling evil spirits and for beginning a new phase, that being marriage. After the consumption, the Family Master was expected to wear cream robes beneath the red to show that they were no longer pure. It was positively un-thought of, for the Family Head to marry if they had already engaged in sexual intercourse with someone other then who they were intended to marry. It _was_ punishable, but only by stripping them of their title _after _they had produced an heir. Such an occurrence was uncommon; the last time to date being Akito's great, great, great Grandmother. Or so he recalled. There may have been others who had done so, but had never been caught.

'_Well... the white rings true for me at least..._' Akito thought, bitterly tying the cord around his waist and slipping the red robe snuggly atop his shoulders. '_Perhaps not for purity, or goodness, or heterosexuality... but for being their good little virgin, yes. Even after what The Doctor did... still, he never would have risked my being tainted before my time. Wasn't that considerate of him?'_

He pulled his boxer shorts back on and gave the mirror one last glance. Feeling defiant, he strode on over to it and swiped the beading condensation with his sleeve, cleansing a line straight through the words.

"Next time, try writing it in human blood. It lasts longer." He said; raising an eyebrow as he gave the bathroom one last unimpressed look. "I'm not frightened by whatever you are, and I suggest you quit with your silly little games. ...Am I making myself clear?"

The bathroom had no answer. Feeling as though he had made his point, Akito grinned at his reflection in the mirror, retrieved his cane and then reached out to grab the door bar. A loud squeaking noise made him jump and he uttered a small cry of alarm. He leapt back from the door and then managed to compose himself. He slowly made himself over to the door again and leant down a little, pressing his ear to the wood. From behind it, he heard the definitive squeak again, the groaning cry of wood being depressed beneath a heavyset heel. Creak, creak... and then finally, a third time.

"Creak, creak, creak..." Akito uttered, casting a look back to the mirror. The kanji had all run together now due to the contact of his sleeve, but he could still remember clearly what it had said. Was this what it had meant? Silence followed the sound and then, tentatively, it was repeated as if to ensure that Akito hadn't missed it the first time. Creak, creak, creak. Creak, creak, creak. With five-second intervals between each set. It was a strange use of sound though; the first and final creak of the three was longer then the rest. Akito realized that it was being used to mimic the SOS signal.

SOS Save our souls.

Save. Our. Souls.

Save. Our. Souls...

Sharply and abrupt, Akito jerked the door open almost sending it crashing straight through the wall. He scoured the room critically as if to ensure that no one was there. The creaking noise stopped immediately and Akito, trying to ignore his heard pounding violently in his chest, staggered over to the squeaky floorboard. He was certain that it was what had been making the noise just a few seconds earlier and that it had been unable to do so itself. _Someone _had to have been doing it. Sure enough when Akito attempted to repeat the SOS type call using his cane as the instigator, the floorboard produced the same sound as before. He quickly raked the room with his eyes, just to make sure that there was no one squatting in any dark corners that might have made the sound. His search came up clean.

"What is it with you...?" Akito wondered, pressing down on the floorboard again. It screeched dutifully in response but otherwise offered no explanation. Tired of trying to psychoanalyze a floorboard, Akito brought his mind back to a more pressing issue. That of his dream. In it, the female figure had been singing a song that he knew to be strikingly familiar; in a de je vu type way. It was nothing he could remember off the top of his head, but knew that it had some sort of connection to his past. Perhaps his childhood. He wasn't sure but he had a pretty good idea that Kureno might know, having grown up alongside him and being a fair few years older. Akito had just resolved to go and see him, when his thoughts were once again interrupted, but this time from the sound of a distressed call for help from downstairs. And this one Akito could place: It was Shigure.

**__**

SCENE CHANGE

Shigure had carried Ayame all the way from the back road and up the front few steps of the Main House before the other man began to stir. The whole while the author had been cursing near to everything that could have imposed such a horror; the dead weight of his lovers body making him want to scream with every step. But he had pushed on, regardless of the many times he had wanted to sink to the ground in defeat. _Everything will be all right, _he kept repeating to himself, forcing his terrified mind to believe it. _The Family Elders are old and wise; they'll understand what to do. They will! And they'll fix him and everything will be all right. Just do your part and get Ayame there!_

"Just hang in there..." He whispered, hoping that Ayame was listening as he carried him up the steps. The tailors' body began to twitch and his heard jerked spastically to one side, bloodied foam leaking from the corner of his mouth. Shigure whimpered as he stumbled on the old boards and nearly launched himself through the doors. He managed to regain his footing in the nick of time and looked down at the man in his arms to register his condition. Ayame blinked like a child awakening and glared up at him balefully, with his milk white-eyes. It looked very much like cataracts had stolen his sight, though it was clear that he could see Shigure perfectly.

His eyes seemed to glow with a malevolent light.

"Um... hi." Shigure said, not really thinking on the words that were coming out of his mouth. "Look, I've almost got you to Main House Aya, and as soon as I talk to some of the folks inside I'm sure it'll be clear sailing. So why not just sit still and take it easy until then, okay?"

Ayame was not interested in his advice.

With one sinewy movement of his body, he bucked from Shigure's grasp, slithering from his hands like Jell-O. The dramatic shift in weight caused the inu to stumble forward and he rammed over Ayame's body, sending the both of them sprawling within the Entrance Room of the Main House. One of the servants who had been lighting candles near the doorway, screamed as they barreled through almost tipping her up. As it was, wax from the candle leapt spitting up through the air and landed on Shigure's arm, sudden and scorching. He cried out at the sharp pain and then desperately pushed it aside, when he saw Ayame desperately attempting to crawl away. The action was bizarre, for it seemed as if Ayame was completely unaware that he could make use of his arms. They flapped uselessly by his side as he bucked his body back and forth as though trying to maneuver with his hips. Shigure had little trouble subduing him. He simply threw himself over his back and braced him down hard against the floor. It likened to the play fighting they had engaged in only the night before and for once Shigure was glad that he was the one who more often then not won these games. Ayame writhed beneath him, gurgling incoherently as he tried to squirm free. His jaw made a clicking noise as he gnashed his teeth together, attempting to turn his face around to bite Shigure. The novelist held firm, hating how much force he had to exert just to hold his lover down. This day was not meant to be like this!

"Don't just stand there, GET HELP!" He screamed at the stunned looking girl. She stammered a reply and quickly abandoned her task to aid in his own, scuffling away as fast as her feet could carry her. "Hurry!" Shigure urged, then continued to call from help in case someone was close at hand. "SOMEBODY!! HELP US!! HELP US SOMEBODY!! HELP US!!"

There was no immediate reply and Ayame was growing impatient. He no longer lashed beneath Shigure like a whip, but rather remained eerily quiet with an angry look on his face. Only then did Shigure detect the threatening hiss that emitted from Ayame's barely parted lips. The forked tongue snaked out as if tasting the air, then swept back within never halting the steady never ceasing hiss. Shigure felt his whole body shiver.

"Ayame, listen to me..." He whispered gently, gripping the base of the silver haired mans arm to prevent him from using it if he thought to. "You've got to hear me... Listen, I don't want you to hurt anyone okay? Me least of all... Do you hear me? Ayame, I'm your boyfriend... I... I care about you. I don't want to see you like this. So please..."

There was some sort of reaction, though barely obvious to one who wasn't cursed like he. For a moment, Ayame's angry expression laxed, as if the cords that contorted his expression had been released. The hissing subsided and his body was not as stiff as it was before. The angry light in his eyes seemed to fade. Though there was not nearly enough time for the words to take effect fully, because it was then that the servant girl reappeared with Arata, the mar de camp of the Family Elders. She was a tall, middle aged woman with a pale face, scrupulous expression and long brown hair pulled atop her head in a tight bun. Her red robes were decorated with black vines and small Asian dragons.

"Sohma Shigure." She stated, her tone containing an obvious trace of disapproval. "And what dire circumstances might I ask would force the great novelist to return to us? Slumming it are we? Should we be graced at your presence? Would you like for me to bow?"

"Maybe later." Shigure grunted as Ayame gave a wild buck beneath him. "I'm here on behalf of Master Ayame, who as you can see, is not in the best of ways."

Arata snorted indifferently. "Of what insanity grips that snake has little of no importance to us here within the House of Sohma. Those are his personal issues to deal with, not ours." She made a prim gesture with her hand as if suggesting that Shigure and Ayame run along. The inu barked angrily at her and was about to make an objection when the servant girl beat him to it.

"Please Mrs. Arata, but there is a plausible reason for Master Shigure and Ayame to be here!" She said softly, bowing even as she spoke. "They came careening in her like bats from Hell and the sna- I mean, Master Ayame writhed as though O'yama himself ravaged him from within! I dare say it is too horrible to even stand the sight of being this close to him! I beg leave!"

"Stay where you are!" Arata snapped, kneeling down beside Shigure and pulling back her kimono sleeve. The girl gave a muffled cry and turned away, face buried against her hands. Arata ignored her distress and locked her eyes on Shigure's sweat beaded face. "I want you to lift his face up so that I can look for myself and see whether or not we can be of any assistance to you. Depending on my assessment, I may or may not ask you to leave the vicinity. But that will depend on the circumstances of the snakes state."

Shigure snarled at her, hating the disrespect Ayame had to endure within the Sohma House simply because he was cursed by the snake. But he sided with his better judgement which said that defending Ayame's honour was not as important as restoring Ayame himself. Therefore he merely did as he was told and, using one hand to wrench Ayame's hair up, exposed his face to Arata. The elder woman examined him with horrified clarity dawning on her face. Clarity, but not downright fear. This surprised Shigure, who had half been expecting her to jump up and run screaming from the room. Ayame's mouth opened wide and he lunged forward, dragging himself impossibly across the floor towards the Family Elder. A hissing cry erupted from his mouth and a clear foul substance dripped from the long teeth that had grown from his upper jaw. Arata moved away slowly, her eyes never straying from Ayame's, but she didn't turn and flee either. She moved as if she knew exactly what to do. Shigure was amazed. And suspicious.

"You know what this is, don't you?" He asked, his voice cold. When she didn't answer, he grew angry. "YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS, DON'T YOU?!!"

Ayame screeched in rage at the sound of his raised voice and propelled himself again at Arata, bringing Shigure with him. The inu had to use all his strength to pin him to the floor once more. He grunted with the effort of holding him immobile.

"Oh please... beg thee do I that this evil will not avail me..." The servant girl moaned, who despite her fear had turned to see. Her hands were clasped over her face, her eyes peering out over the peaked surface. "Mrs. Arata... tell me what must be done! I will obey if it means we can drive this fiend out!"

"That's my boyfriend you're calling a fiend there, love." Shigure grumbled, forcing weight down through his chest as Ayame tried to attack Arata again. "Dammit, would you just sit still already!!?"

"Takako... I need you to fetch me Susumu and Nobu." Arata said grimly, standing up and gazing down at the mad eyed thing that had once been Ayame. "Tell Susumu to bring the supplies necessary for an eviction. Quit your blubbering and make it fast, dammit!!"

The girl, Takako uttered a squeak of apology and raced away to carry through with the request. Suddenly, the main doors swung open and Hatori entered with Kureno hurrying close behind him. Both stared down at the two men hunched on the floor, then looked to Arata for answers.

"I heard screaming..." Hatori said as way of explanation. He set his medical bag down at his feet and took a step towards his two friends. "So what's the big emergency? Is there anything I can do to- HEY!!"

In the blink of an eye, Ayame had slithered away from Arata and propelled himself into Hatori, sinking his teeth into his leg. Shigure yelled in shock, trying to wrench his lover free of the doctor, whom was screaming obscene language that he would normally never think to use. Ayame was grinning maniacally, fingernails stabbed into the skin of Hatori's ankle as he chewed his way through the fabric of the pant leg. Blood started oozing from the abused limb, splattering against the floor.

"Fuck the Buddha!!" Kureno cursed, leaping around the doctors flailing form and coming up beside Ayame. Without a moment's hesitation, he wrenched the metal candleholder from the floor and slammed the base down roughly against the side of Ayame's face, wresting his mouth free. A primal hiss of pain tore from the snakes mouth as he was knocked aside, falling to the floor with Shigure sprawled atop him, helplessly trying to pin him down. Kureno dropped candleholder and quickly threw himself over Ayame's wriggling form, helping Shigure restrain him. The inu gasped wearily as he looked at the rooster's bruised face, thinking strangely enough how odd it was that both of them had been involved in two major events already that day. And Hatori too.

"You could have killed him with that!" He growled, wishing that he had something better to say to the man who had just prevented Hatori's leg from being gnawed off. But Kureno didn't seem to really care about what he had just done. He sniffed as he shoved Ayame's hand forcibly into the small of his back, resisting the urge to break his wrist. It was a reflex thing really.

"Please, I didn't exert nearly enough force to kill him, nor hit him in the critical space of the skull. Being the temple." He added smarily, shoving Ayame's arm down again to cease his wriggling. The snake hissed once in pain and seemed to decide that staying still was possibly the best choice for the while. "You'd prefer if he'd had the chance to take a chunk out of our dear Hari's leg? For now, your inability to contain him has led to your friends poisoning."

"Jesus..."

The slurred groan came from Hatori himself, who was leaning against the wall as he raised the hem of his trouser leg to examine the wound. The bite was ragged, oozing blood from the puncture marks, which, due to the chewing action, were many. Sweat was streaming down the doctors' face and his eyebrows were creased in pain.

"He bit me... I don't believe it... He damn well bit me!!" Hatori groaned, popping open his surgical bag and rummaging through it. He came across a rolled bandage and quickly unraveled it, winding it around his leg just above the bite mark to slow the venom's progression through his body. "Shigure, would you mind telling me what the Hell's going on? ... Dear God... that's almost unbearable..."

Kureno turned his head towards Arata and nodded once at her. "Take Hatori back to the Examination room and administer the anti-venom. If all goes well, he will be able bodied once more by the evening. I will need the supplies brought to me before I am to proceed with the Eviction. I was uninformed of the situation when I arrived here, as you can see."

"I sent Takako out looking for you." Arata explained as she leant to help Hatori to his feet. He winced and clutched at his leg, swaying as he was pulled upright. "She may return with Nobu and if so send him for the supplies, if I am not back in time. Until then, keep him subdued as best you can."

"No." Kureno said sarcastically. "I thought I'd let him go for a little wander around the compound while we waited."

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of humor." Arata sniffed as she dragged a limping Hatori out the door. Once they were out of sight, Shigure turned his attention to Kureno, astonished and angry all rolled into one.

"Something I missed?" He snarled, ever so politely. "My boyfriend is here, going through I don't know what and you are talking with the Family Elder's like you're one of them... Hatori gets bitten by Aya and poisoned... I don't even know where to begin!"

"Then let me help you..." Kureno grumbled, driving his elbow deep into Ayame's spine and leaning his weight on it. "The reason I talk with the Family Elder's like I'm one of them, is because I _am _one of them. I'm the son of Nori; one of the Elders's who stores the record of all people whose memories have been erased. I was born not Kureno, but Susumu which is the name that the other Elder's address me by."

"But the Elder's are so old! Hence being elder..." Shigure rationalized, with a perturbed expression on his face. "And you, well you're my age! Younger by a year!"

"If I was given a choice, _which I wasn't_, I wouldn't be an elder at all." The rooster explained with a brief roll of his eyes. He obviously detested the position. "And the reason I could hit Ayame the way I did and know I wouldn't hurt him, is because I was trained in _ninjitsu_ for many years. I know the limitations of my strength."

"_Ninjitsu_?" Shigure was intrigued. "Never would have guessed that!"

"You wouldn't. I'm quite exceptional at hiding things." Kureno said sullenly. His dark brown eyes turned to focus on Shigure and his face was grim. "Now... I must be honest with you. Arata and I are well aware of what has happened to Ayame and we can fix this, for lack of a better word. We are about to perform an age old Shinto Ritual called 'The Eviction.' It's like an exorcism, though not in the sense that you might know. You see, Ayame has not been possessed by another spirit; what has happened is that the spirit within was brought forth into dominance by the hand of another soul. What we are witnessing is the Evil Spirit that has cursed him, that of the snake, taking over."

"The Evil Spirit...?" Shigure asked, feeling a chill race up his spine. "You mean...?"

"Yes. Just as the dog curses you and the rooster curses I, only in Ayame's case something has occurred that for generations has been kept under control. What reigns in the Evil Spirits in our bodies and keeps them from gaining dominance over our own souls, has lapsed. _Something _has happened, that shouldn't have. Something has gone wrong. Because _this _is not supposed to happen." He pointed to Ayame, as if Shigure couldn't guess just what _'this'_ was. "I can't say what, because I honestly don't know. But it _does _have everything to do with Akito."

"_What _has everything to do with Akito?" A sharp voice asked from the stairwell. Both men looked up to see none other then Akito himself walking down slowly towards them. He gazed at them apprehensively as he reached ground level and then paused to take in the situation. After a minute of this silent assessment, his eyes fell to Ayame whom was nearly invisible beneath the bodies of them both. "When I heard screaming, I assumed it was someone calling for help. I had no idea it was anything to _this _nature." He cocked an eyebrow to express his opinion on what was happening. "What, might I ask, are you doing to the snake?"

Ayame hissed fretfully at the sight of the family master and all his efforts now went into trying to crawl away. Kureno and Shigure dug their heels into the floor, pushing down on him with all their might to prevent his escape. Akito watched without so much as a change in expression.

"Well... while I find this amusing, I'm afraid I have other things to attend to. Kureno." He said sharply, causing the roosters' head to jerk up to attention. "I must speak with you. When you're done playing with Shigure and his squeak toy, would you mind terribly meeting me upstairs?"

Shigure was about to say something he knew he'd regret in regard to the squeak toy comment, when he came to a disturbing realization. Akito addressed him as Kureno. Was he simply doing it because of Shigure being there, or was it because he had no idea that Kureno was actually Susumu, a Family Elder? If so, then there were many more secrets within the House of Sohma that even he, the Family Master was not privy to. Why he found this a surprise he could not say, only that it sent a bad feeling washing through him. Bad was the evil you knew, but even worse was the evil you didn't know. Kureno seemed to have some idea as to Shigure's though process and lowered his head so he could whisper to him without Akito hearing.

"Though I am Susumu, my main role in this family is as Kureno; personal servant to Akito. That is as it's always been. Akito does not know about my being a Family Elder and it would be best if you did not stir his suspicions." Following this, he raised his head, the movement looking as though he had simply straightened up out of a bow. "It is good to hear your voice again, sir. Might I draw your attention to the fact that Ayame is not the victim of Shigure's ravishment's or mine. Rather, he is the victim of the Evil Spirit gaining control over him. The Family Elder's are returning soon to perform 'The Eviction.'"

Akito cocked his head to one side, his expression curious. He looked down at Ayame's foam flecked face and curled his lip.

"'The... Eviction..." He stated, clearly having no idea as to what Kureno was speaking of. "The snake... is the dominant personality then?"

Without so much as a flicker of fear in his eyes, the young master hobbled closer, placing his cane to the side as he knelt down so he could get a closer look at the tailor. Ayame squirmed in Kureno and Shigure's hold; mouth opened wide to hiss reproachfully at Akito whose face continued to get closer and closer. Shigure fidgeted, not certain that this exactly was the brightest move on Akito's behalf. After seeing what Ayame had done to Hatori, who had been one of his closest friends, he could only imagine what it would do to the man who had whipped his brother and caused him so much upset in the past.

But Ayame made no such move to strike. His head swayed from side to side, hissing all the while as though warning Akito from gaining any ground. But the Family Master seemed enamoured. He followed the snake's movements with his own head, eyes locked on the sallow white orbs that had sickened Shigure to the stomach to look into. Moving slowly, so as to not frighten him, Akito reached his hand out and rested it on the front of Ayame's face, fingers pushed upwards through his bangs. The snake made a harsh noise and then, inexplicably began to coo softly, laying it's head against the floor in submission as it looked up at Akito with nary an inch of malice in it's eyes. The young man relinquished his touch, seating himself on the floor next to the three older men and casually examined his sleeves.

"You should leave him this way. He's not as much trouble." He said, with a small sort of smile.

Shigure regarded him with amazement. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Calm him down. We've been holding him here for the last ten minutes."

"He has been kicking up quite a fuss." Kureno agreed, standing up and brushing his clothes off. He seemed amused that Ayame had been reduced to a subservient wreck and seated himself beside Akito, bowing even as he did. "I was just asking Shigure, Master Akito. Asking him why he thinks this may have happened to his friend Ayame. Why now? He never got time to explain to me the answer."

Akito glanced over at Shigure. "How did this happen?"

Shigure was stumped. In a way, Kureno was almost as manipulative as he was. Without exerting his own will, he had managed to nudge Akito towards asking himself. Why he was not sure, but perhaps it was to give some information or even to stay around a bit longer. Whatever his motive it had worked.

Shigure explained what had happened on the road back from the Picnic area. The whole while, Kureno and Akito didn't make a movement between them; neither jumping to interrupt him or deny his explanation. Finally, when he had finished Akito seemed to be pondering on something. Shigure could tell, because his head was angled down and his eyes in turn were hidden beneath his long bangs. A habit he had developed as a child when he wanted to close off his thoughts to the rest of the world. Because in Akito's case, his eyes were the main tellers behind his every intention and they were the most likely thing to give him away.

"... It would appear...that there is some element of truth behind those rumors of the Old Road..." He said at last, his voice so soft that Shigure had to lean close to hear it. "For once the gossip whores of the Sohma household were correct in their second grade opinions."

"It would seem so, sir." Kureno said obligingly with a little nod of his head.

"And you say that you could not see these _apparitions _that the snake spoke of?" Akito asked, putting his accent on the word 'apparitions'. It sounded as though he were mocking the belief in such things, but Shigure could sense something else to it. Something more then that. His nose told him nothing and he couldn't read Akito's eyes for they remained hidden; but he could have sworn that he heard fear beneath the immaculate voice.

He nodded in response. "No. But something was definitely there. Whatever it was hit the car and the kind of fear that came off of Ayame, it was a fear beyond anything that the mind may have been able to conjure."

"And just how do you know that?" The Master asked and this time, there was disbelief in his voice. Shigure regarded him from the corner of his eye.

"Fear stinks." He said. "Ayame was reeking from a smell even more pungent then that of fear. _Terror. _I've never smelt terror before, because I've never known anyone to be that frightened. Whatever he saw got inside of him and did something. I mean look at him!!" Ayame nibbled his hand in response. "He's calm right now, but he was thrashing before! He bit Hatori, would have gnawed his damn leg off if it hadn't been for Kureno!"

"Well... isn't it lucky that Kureno knew what to do..." Akito hissed and as his eyes settled on the rooster, Shigure thought the sound was so much more dangerous then Ayame's had been moments before.

"He whom the gods love!" Three voices called in chorus. Shigure and Kureno looked up to see Arata, Nobu and Sho traipse back through the front door. Sho was the teacher of rituals and etiquette concerning the Sohma clan and her presence was required at a moment like this, when the procedure had only ever been performed generations before hand. Nobu worked side by side with Arata and he was one of the Eldest Family members at sixty-three. He'd seen through Tamiko's reign before Akito and even through her father's before her. He warranted a lot of respect within the clan, though of course not nearly to the degree that Akito, as family master did.

All three Elders bowed their heads to Akito, the gesture following the official spoken greeting. It was an old tradition and not anyone else from the family bothered to integrate it into their conversations with Akito, but the Elder's found it proper.

Akito, not even turning to look at them, answered with the correct response. "Blessed be the faithful." He grumbled, sounding all too much like an impatient child reciting lines.

"I was just on the verge of calling for you." Arata said, placing the supplies for The Eviction ceremony on the ground before Ayame. "This man has been taken under control by the evil spirit."

"As these two inform me." Akito murmured, grasping a hold of his cane and using it to push himself to his feet. He gave a whimsical sigh and raked a hand through the back of his hair, allowing the longer strands to drift sensually across the length of his neck. "And the only reason I was present here at all, is because it amused me for some time. But I'm afraid now the interest has faded. Therefore, I part company with you now."

Sho stammered and raised herself up on one knee. "Sir! It is imperative that you are present for the ritual! You know this. You have been taught it."

"I care not for lessons. You know this. I have taught you." Akito responded his voice husky. This was a dangerous sign Shigure knew and his whole body went rigid. After seeing the Family Master's attack on Kureno this morning, he did not fancy to see it demonstrated again. Especially not on a woman. If this were to occur he knew he would have to put a stop to it, and that would not help his position in the eyes of Akito Sohma at all. He'd already shamed himself twice doing so.

Sho seemed to back down a little at this but Arata was not so easily intimidated. She dared to stand up and actually approach the master, coming to a stop just a few feet from his turned back. Her eyes were hard.

"Akito..." She said softly, non-threateningly. "We know that you care not for the knowledge we have tried to instill in you. But that does not mean you are free to ignore your responsibilities as Family Master. The man before you is a consequence of your imperfection and this may not have occurred, if had correctly followed in the path set for you. Not in the time of your mother did it happen, nor in the time of your Grandfather or even in the time before him. It is our fault for failing to raise you correctly. Our failures are your faults, we accept our sin. But we need you to accept your own and help this man. He is the innocent and the innocent-"

"-are neither good nor bad." Akito droned in distaste and Shigure was certain that this was not the first time he had been asked to repeat this phrase. The young master slowly turned and rather then the mask of anger that Shigure had been expecting, the expression was characteristically snide as though he meant to humor the will of impetuous children. Perhaps that was exactly how he looked at them all. "What a day it will be... when this family will be able to take responsibility for themselves... wouldn't _that_ be something, Arata? The day when they come to realize that they have more of a clue about what's going on here, then he poor selfish prick they call _Family Master? _Family Master?!" He snickered and raised his head, face turning deadly serious. "That's the greatest joke of all, isn't it Arata? For if he were truly master, then perhaps his own permission would have been asked for the extraction of his seed rather then the permission of a Family Elder? Is that not so, _Arata_? I know it was you that he went to all those years ago. And you told him that he could do it. Didn't you?"

"Akito... I'm not sure what you are talking about..." Arata said trying to keep her voice calm. But her actions denied her words, for she was backing away into her kneeling position again. Akito gazed at her expressionlessly for a minute and then shrugged it off. He turned to Shigure with the same dull look.

"It's not enough that I spend every day dying for you, you insist on _adding _to my workload?" He smirked wryly and waved a hand at the Elder's. "I suppose that this is my curse as well, that I must play wet nurse to you all. Arata, I will attend this little ritual if it suits you. Not because you ordered it however. We won't forget whom it is that rules this family again now will we? Otherwise, I may not be so gentle about my past grudge." His eye narrowed dangerously.

Shigure blew a strand of hair from his face. "I think I liked him better when he was silent."

****

Next chapter spoiler: The Eviction process takes place, Akito identifies the song and finds out the secret beneath the floorboard. (Sarcastically.) Will the fun never end? R and R if you care, but if you don't, please don't flame. Go eat a box of chocolates and whinge about your non-existent love life or do whatever it is that you flamers do, I dunno. Just don't bother me. I actually spent time and effort writing this stuff and I don't want it shot down like every one of Jo Lo's boyfriends. Get the picture? Good, I'm glad we understand each other. Now, if you don't mind I'm going to go eat a box of chocolates.


	6. Are we demons?

****

Born to be Broken.

Disclaimer: Don't own it loves. Perhaps this is a blessing, considering some of the screwy stuff I come up with.****

Note: Well loves, it's been a while aye? I must apologize for my absence, but there is a perfectly plausible excuse. You see, I am right smack dab in the middle of exam period and with the subjects I'm taking I need as much time as I can scrape together! However, I have put apart this time especially for updating my next chapter so that it doesn't worry on my brain during the exams that I'm taking and my readers won't despair! (She says ever so modestly.) Well, now that I've made my excuses, onto my thankyou reviewer notes!

Purple Witchy Angel: Sorry about not mentioning you, hun! As I put in my responses in the last chapter, I apologized to any of my reviewers that I did not address, being that they didn't respond before I wrote the fifth chapter. So I'm sorry! This address can count for both then, kay? Thanks as always for the positive comments! And um... I think Akito's been quiet for long enough, it's about time he got in character, don't you agree? (Winces before Kyou-kun) Please don't beat me up... I have children! _Granted they're goldfish that died five years ago but still!_

Puppet in the Corner: I left you speechless? Cool! You think it's the best Ayame/Shigure out there? Well thankyou very much for saying so, I don't get sick of getting compliments! (Giggles hornily) Yeah, Akito's my hot little psychopath alright! I'm planning on having some more smutty type scenes with him in it later so stay tuned! (To be honest, I thought that what I did with Ayame was kind of... silly. But as long as no one else thinks so!)

SniperKitty: (Joins in the spazzing out) WHEE!! You lika my ficcy!! (Dances around with you) I didn't want to try and make Akito look good, even though I'm a fan. I want people to sympathize with him for genuine reasons and not because I've cleaned him up. I want him as badass as he is on the show and that's pretty damn badass! But of course he has that vulnerable whimpy side we didn't get to see until episode 26 that I'll be delving deeper into. Man... Akito's one psychological character so he's really giving me a workout! (Gets all hot and bothered over the idea of Akito giving her a workout.) You wanna have my babies? You _love _me? (Thinks.) This is all happening kind of quickly but what the hell! Let's get married! Where should we have the wedding? Do you want to wear the dress or should I?

Demeter1: My caramel-chocolate Akito fic! (Squeals with happiness) You seem to be really getting into this! I'm glad, I want my readers to stew over it and try and figure things out themselves. That's the whole point of it being a mystery after all. Mystery for everyone! Now, your review was kind of long (not that I'm complaining!) so I'm going to address each section that you remarked on. You liked Akito's dream, huh? I was worried it was kind of overdone but you seemed to have gotten the general gist of it. All that rhyming crap that each zodiac member was carrying on about is partly a deconstruction of Akito's characteristic's and partly to give him clues about his next moves. There was a reason I chose those particular Jyuunishi to appear in that scene but you'll all find out why later! Right now Akito's not so much trying to figure out how to end the zodiac curse or even to discover where it originated, but you're right. That's the direction he's heading. I'm really honored the way that you're trying to uncover the story line before I reveal it myself! Nice to see you got all the 'lucky' puns, though it's not quite used in the context that you probably think it will be. It's quite interesting actually, what the whole 'luck' thing pans out as. As for the woman in his dream, you suggested that it could either be a scene from Akito's past that he is blocking out or a scene from when the zodiac curse was born. One of those is right, so good job! (Applauds) Though I won't give away just which one it is. The whole Kureno being an elder thing was something I initially did on a whim. Though there is a whole massive point behind that and the fact that Akito doesn't know. As Hatori put it; "-but there are many dark secrets within the House of Sohma. -An evil shadow looms over this family. That is the nature of our curse." (Man I love fanwanking my own stuff!) I love Kureno as a character so I wanted to give him more of a personality than was revealed in the manga. I kind of see him as a less serious, warmer version of Hatori if that makes sense? Hari .Jr? Oh and I'll take note of my paragraph chunking from here on in! There'll be much more Akito coming up!

faith b: Can't say how much it means to me that you are enjoying it as much as you are! You say you find it overwhelming? I'm flattered! Truly flattered that you think that! My dear, you simply must get around to seeing those last two disks of Fruits Basket because they reveal so much more about Akito, especially episode 26. His character really comes to light there and you just want nothing more than to reach into the screen and rescue him! Does it really make you want to cry? Oh my... If it makes you sad now I can't wait to see your reaction to the fics ending! That's going to be a real Kleenex fest! Yeah, even though Akito's a 2-D character, he is the most psychological, sad, depressed, complex drawing on a piece of paper I have ever seen! And since we don't hear anything about his past on the show or manga, I've taken it upon myself to fill in the blanks as realistically as possible. Though I still have a lot to unveil, it 's nice that reviewers find his plight a sad one. I know that I always did. (Blushes) You say I offer insightful perspectives of life and a philosophical interpretation on the whole subject of Akito/the Sohma family and it's nice that you have been able to find this in my work. I've put a lot of effort into doing these chapter's, adding those bits and pieces here and there hoping that those who were willing to look for it will find it. I feel blessed that you enjoy my fic so much and I'm sorry for the late update! I hope that this next chapter will make up for it! (My fake nails are causing somewhat of a hinderance however!)

That's enough thanking now! Oh, before I begin though I have one question to ask all my reviewers in general. It's really been bothering me... Is Akito's hair plum colored? Some websites have said that it is and I went off of my nut, because I'm convinced that it is black. Though I was watching the show just a while ago and I thought to myself; "Hmm... his hair _does _have a purplish tint to it..." N E one who would like to help me unravel this particular Mini Mystery is more than welcome! Now, on with the fic!

__

They prepared for the ritual in absolute silence. Silence, if you did not take into account the consistent tapping of Akito's fingernails against the floor. Shigure looked over at the family master, wishing there was some way he could define the slender young man in his thoughts, in a way that was not negative. Arata, Sho and Nobu worked briskly, setting the out the various tools necessary for the eviction, lighting candles and incense and occasionally pausing for a moment of hurriedly uttered prayer. Kureno sat by Akito's side, unremitting in his expressionless guise. His hands were balled into two loose fists and rested on the tops of his bent knees, eyes closed in contemplation. At least that is what Shigure assumed. Kureno had always been difficult to decipher and he continued to grow even more mysterious with each passing second. Ayame, calmed by whatever magic Akito had worked on him, had rolled over lazily onto his back, hands raised in the air and bobbing listlessly at the wrist as if he were uncertain of their purpose. His white unseeing eyes moved to focus on Shigure for an instant and through the mouth came a malignant hiss. It's intent clear, though the body lacked the ability to follow through with its threat. Shigure turned away, unable to watch. He instead looked at Akito, lying comfortably on the floor, with one hand propping his head up and the other pressed against the floor, whereupon he tapped the wood with his long nails. He was tapping out a tune, though it was unidentifiable, at least to Shigure. Yet, despite the situation itself, Akito continued to observe the events surrounding him in an indifferent manner. His thin lips, though drawn straight across his face, seemed to carry with them the hint of a smile just beyond the surface. His black eyes danced in the depths as though they were privy to a hidden truth that no other was aware of. Shigure knew this was exactly how Akito perceived the other zodiac members and by extension mostly everyone he came in contact with. Though whether this was a defense mechanism, or the unveiled limits of his dark personality was yet to be seen. That sort of deconstruction was best left to people who knew what they were talking about. Like Hatori. Shigure tilted his head, thinking about his friend and wondering if he was all right. The wound to his leg had been severe and he knew for a fact that human bites were prone to becoming infected. Not to mention whatever additional damage the thing that was Ayame had done.

Akito was watching him benignly, a placid smile on his face. Shigure realized that he had been staring and made a point of clearing his throat and looking away. He didn't like Akito's smarmy attitude, especially when a loved one was in danger but he was even more uncomfortable by the gentle look the family master was giving him. Whatever it's meaning, Shigure couldn't help but think that it was an expression intended for sympathy should Ayame fail to be restored. And that was not a thought he was willing to entertain.

Kureno too noticed the look, through the one un-bruised eye that he held slightly ajar. It was a skill he had learnt many years ago whilst serving Akito, to sleep with one eye open and to always be aware, even when you were trying to disillusion others into thinking that you were not. So Kureno saw, and he knew the purpose of the smile. Akito wasn't exactly a social creature and his skill's in interacting with others was shaky at best but Kureno had a fair understanding of his expressions and gestures. The look he sent Shigure was one of encouragement. Out of all the Sohma's it was both he and Shigure that Akito trusted the most. He would say that he viewed them as friends but Akito didn't believe in the term and wholly more, didn't trust friendships. 'That's kiddy stuff.' He had told Kureno once, when the rooster had asked whether he considered him a friend. Whatever his words, Kureno knew that the family master denied many of his own feelings for the sake of producing an appropriate appearance. Even the feelings he had once developed for Shigure. Though the desire for him had long faded, there was still the essential fondness present in the way Akito addressed him and more so, trusted him. When Shigure had wanted to move away, Akito had let him. Though whether it was because of that previous longing, or some other entirely separate factor, remained to be seen. But Kureno knew very well the reason why Akito had fallen for Shigure. It was a memory. A memory that lingered of another; who was so very much like he...

But Akito would never know that.

Arata spread the candles in a circle, not to far from where Ayame lay. Before lighting each of them, she delved her fingers within a small bag around her waist and withdrew a pinch of some hidden substance that the others could not see. With it, she rubbed the wick of each candle and then, moving anti-clockwise, lit each of them. Shigure watched, mesmerized, as each flame slowly rose to life; a startling blue rather than the expected orange. With a start he realized that within each flame, there floated a tiny sexless face, the mouths moving slowly in the manner of a brain-damaged fish. He turned and looked sharply at Kureno, seeking answers. Though his eyes were apparently closed, the rooster shook his head when the dogs gaze sought him out. Shigure was confused. Had they not called Susumu- Kureno- to perform the Eviction Ceremony himself? Why was he merely sitting by, doing nothing?

Nobu held up a piece of chalk in his bent arthritic hands. "Alas, my eyes are too old and my hands too bent to scrawl the symbol myself..." He observed in a dry, husky tone. "Perhaps Master Kureno, would be so kind as to come draw it for me."

'Of course!' Shigure thought, cursing his stupidity. 'Akito doesn't know about Kureno being a Family Elder, so they have to be careful about his inclusion in the ritual or else his cover will be blown...'

Kureno's eyes snapped open as though he had been woken from a daydream. Of course the reality was far from this as he had been fully aware the whole time. He gave a subservient bow and rose to his feet, taking the stem of chalk from Nobu's extended hand.

"What is it that you want me to draw?" Kureno asked, playing his role down to the ignorance of the humble servant boy. They answered just as he knew they would, The kanji that made up the word Sohma, written within the circle of candles. As Kureno bent down the write the words, Akito sat up straight and stretched, his robes falling about his slender form revealing large patches of pale skin. As he relaxed, the kimono's collar slid down to his upper arm on the left side, leaving little to the imagination. Shigure, being nothing if not a gentleman (...) turned to look away, when something caught his eye. There was an irregular purple and red bruising on Akito's neck. Shigure was very well versed with this particular marking, as it was common to find on his very own body after he had spent a night with Ayame. It was a hicky. Akito noticed the aim of Shigure's gaze and pointedly pulled his kimono back up to perch upon his shoulder, his eyes accusing the dogs curiosity.

"I fell in the shower." He said as explanation.

"Oh." Shigure replied, disbelieving. He knew a hicky when he saw one and that was a hicky. Though who in Hell would be brave enough to get that close to Akito to deliver it was beyond him.

Kureno was whispering to Sho and making vague circular movements with his hands. The older woman nodded and together the three Family Elder's- plus one undercover- made their way over to Ayame.

"What are you doing?" Shigure asked, forgetting Akito immediately. The Family Master watched in silent interest as the two men and women, each stood in a rough circle around the possessed snake, moving to kneel beside him. "I said, what are you doing?" Shigure asked again, insistent on being heard.

"Peace Shigure, we're not going to hurt him." Kureno said soothingly, placing his hands on the tops of Ayame's arms. "We're just going to move him into the center of the circle for now. That's where the Family Elder's have created a barrier, see? To expel the evil spirit." He indicated the circle and it's faced-flames, the white chalk seeming to glow with an ethereal light.

Akito yawned, as though the slow proceedings were boring him. "I still think that he is better off this way. I already have enough trouble from migraine attacks, it would certainly be less of an imposition were he to tone down his antics a little."

Shigure wanted to scream at him to shut up, but feared more for the consequences it may bring down upon Ayame, already scrutinized by the rest of the family. The snake was considered the most malignant of the zodiac animals, second only to the cat, which was the segregate outside of the family itself. It was only a matter of luck that they were helping Ayame now and he wouldn't dare risk impeding that, simply to defend him. His safety came before his pride, though Ayame might argue differently.

"One-two-three- HEAVE HO!!" Kureno shouted, as the Family Elder's hefted Ayame up onto their shoulders. Akito snickered, thinking that it was a very appropriate choice of words, considering whom it was. You didn't have to know Ayame Sohma personally, to know that he was quite promiscuous by nature. To say the least.

The circle was wide enough for the Four Elders to move Ayame within it without difficulty. The tailor remained calm throughout his transfer and continued to remain passive when placed within the candles.

"The blood." Sho said, once they were all standing outside the circle again. As Kureno moved to retrieve the blood, Sho turned to Shigure and Akito, her yellow eyes dark, despite the festive color. "Stand back you two. This is where matters become complicated."

Akito's only response to this was a slight frown. Though he did move away as requested, toward the door and pushed it ajar slightly so that he could stare out. The sun was setting outside, but he could see what a beautiful day it had been. How he wished he had been out there enjoying it, instead of being cooped inside. Shigure moved to stand beside him, but his eyes never left Ayame.

Kureno returned to Sho's side with a long flat box, carved with ornate symbols on the lid. He bent one knee back and bowed slightly, allowing his forehead to touch the woods surface before straightening up. Sho nodded in return and ran her straightened palm in a semi-circle above the box, uttering an incomprehensible prayer. Once complete, she slowly raised the lid and revealed a row of tiny medicine vials, each one firmly topped and labeled. Shigure wasn't close enough to see, but he could count the number and there were thirteen, which made him assume that the blood was a sample from each of the cursed Sohma's. It wasn't surprising. After all, he'd had many blood tests in his time so it would be feasible to assume that Hatori had supplied the Elder's with these vials. Sho's long fingers trailed across the row of vials, before coming to a stop on one in particular. Shigure guessed that it was Ayame's blood. With no further hesitation she removed it from its' slot and nursed it against her palm, nodding once at Kureno. The rooster bowed and closed the boxes' lid, returning it to the supply bag.

Shigure was momentarily distracted by Akito humming. He turned to look at the petite man, leaning his weight heavily on one side of the door, his fingers pressed between the gap. The tone of his voice, the expression on his face made him appear vulnerable and Shigure had to remind himself again, just how young the boy was. Sometimes he forgot.

"Akito?" He said softly and the humming ceased immediately. Akito didn't look at him and made no acknowledgment that he had heard him. He just continued to stare off into the yard beyond, though his thoughts were a million miles further.

"Sorry..." Shigure whispered; though he didn't feel as though he had an obligation to apologize. "I just want to hear what they're saying."

Once more, no reply. Only a slight shifting of his head and the deference of weight to the other side of the body. Akito seemed weary and weak, even more so than before. Shigure remembered Hatori's words and how the Family Master had little time left. Looking at him in that very moment, it was very easy to see the truth in the other man's words. The boy truly was on Death's doorstep.

His attention was diverted back to Sho, who was moving about the circle clockwise with the open vile in one hand. Using her finger, she dipped the nail into the blood and allowed a drop to fall upon each candle-flame, causing the blue to change to an unnatural red. Ayame was beginning to stir, aroused by the groups' efforts. His back arched off of the ground and a guttural cry erupted from his throat, hands flapping uselessly back and forth through the air. But try as he might, the containment of the Sohma name held the body practically immobile and no amount of effort would allow him to break free. Once the last candle had been tipped by blood, Sho paused at the top of the circle, where Ayame's head had been placed. Without word, the other elders assembled in symmetry, Kureno by his feet, Nobu on the right side and Arata on the left. Sho took a deep breath, clearly out of practice with the proceedings. Her voice trembled as she spoke.

"We now must confront that which has caused trepidation unto one of our own. Within the barriers of the circle, it is bound to follow the commands we set for it. Outside of the circle we are protected from it's physical and non-physical threats. By the blood from it's own body, may we suppress the adversary and deliver the child from the depths into which it has been plunged.... Bow your heads with me and together we shall pray."

"Excellent job, my dear." Arata said bowing her head. The two other Elders also bowed their heads and Shigure too felt compelled to do so. Though it was only lowered enough so that he could still see what was going to happen to Ayame. In all retrospect's, he would have been better off not seeing at all.

As Nobu, Arata and Kureno slowly mouthed a silent prayer Shigure was unfamiliar with, Sho crouched and reached out slowly to Ayame. His eyes never moved from her hand, following the slow approach. Finally, as her fingers came to rest under his chin, he struck, rearing up to snap at her arm. But she had been expecting it and her hand withdrew even faster, tangling in his hair and using it to smash his face against the floor. Ayame hissed in primal pain as the process was repeated three times until blood dripped from a steady cut on his head.

"Steady on!!" Shigure yelled, outraged.

To her credit, Sho ignored him and Ayame, stunned, made no reaction when she twisted his head back and poured the rest of the blood into his mouth, holding his nose and forcing him to swallow the fluid. Kureno, unseen by both Shigure and Akito, made some wave like motions with his hand, fingers pointing at the ceiling and floor and a complex kanji symbol. Sho moved away, releasing Ayame who flailed aggressively, clutching at his throat and crying wordless screams. The Family Elder's knew what to expect, yet even they were shocked as the circle burst into a semi-transparent wall of blue fire. Ayame writhed within it, not burning, yet screaming as though he were. Shigure's reaction was as expected.

"HOLY FUCK!" He screamed, darting forward and shoving at Kureno's erstwhile form. Rather than fall aside as he expected the slim Sohma to do, the roosters' body was solid and unyielding. Without even shifting his position, he managed to turn the upper half of his torso about and constrict Shigure within his arms, all in a matter of seconds. Shigure struggled, but the muscles hidden beneath Kureno's loose black sweater were as firm as the knots in a rope. It was pointless. "Kureno, let go of me! AYAME!!" He called desperately.

"Shigure calm down. Take it easy!" Kureno hissed, planting his feet further apart to steady his stance. Physically he was stronger, but Shigure's determination to reach his lover seemed to enhance his strength. It took all his power to hold him steady. "It'll all pass in a second! Be still!"

Akito watched wide eyed from beside the door, his mouth drooping open slightly with no conscious thought of his own. Despite being Family Master, he had never seen such a spectacle unfold. Such... magic. He was frightened and the fear only grew when he felt the choking restriction that had availed him earlier that day, return. He clasped at his throat, crying for Kureno who was unable to hear his calls above the roaring sound of the blue flame and Shigure's shouting.

Arata, Sho and Nobu all raised their hands in succession and chanted something over the crackling roar of the fire. Shigure was close enough to know that he should have been able to feel heat but his skin didn't register the warmth that flame should bring. It was as though the fire was purely something designed to burn the supernatural essence alone, the creature that writhed within Ayame. As the three Elder's finished their prayer, the fire flared up suddenly, highlighting their features in unearthly blue light and then faded away to nothing. The candles flickered dimly then snuffed out one at a time. Not even a trace of smoke remained to show what had just occurred. Within the circle, Ayame rolled onto his side; arms wrapped protectively around his midsection and emitted a faint squeaking noise. It was tepid and pathetic, but it was definitely Ayame.

"Aya?!" Shigure cried uncertainly. He tried once more to break free of Kureno's grip, but the rooster resisted. "Let go of me you damn bloody chicken!!"

"It's not over yet..." Kureno whispered, hefting Shigure to the side with one rough turn of his body. He shook a finger in the inu's face. "You can go to him when I tell you too, but there's still danger. Be mindful of that."

To Shigure it was heartbreaking to stand so close to his lover and not comfort him as he sobbed. His determination was rekindled when Ayame softly called his name and he would have vaulted the candles had not Kureno held him back again. He was grateful to him a few seconds later however, when a hazy blue light appeared, hovering over Ayame's skin like an aura. The glow dissolved upwards, filtering in small granules towards the ceiling. Akito made a very attention grabbing; coughing screaming combo that forced them all to turn around. The blue lights were traversing into him and as the glow around him increased, the pressure in his throat strengthened until his face too had also taken on the color. The blood cells in his eyes expanded until they bulged from his head and with a despairing grunt, he fell to both knees, pitching forward completely onto the floor with a wince worthy crash.

"Akito!" Kureno cried, releasing Shigure in his hast to reach his fallen master. Shigure wasted no time leaping into the circle and pulling Ayame into his arms. The tailor was coughing and seemed kind of disoriented, but otherwise fine. His eyes were back to their usual beautiful shade of green.

"Ayame, say something, sweetheart." Shigure murmured, running a hand through his friends' hair. "Goddammit- say something!!"

"Something-" Ayame said typically. Shigure managed a slight smile as he pulled the other man against his chest, holding the back of his head and rocking him gently back and forth. "Shigure... what happened?" He whimpered as tears leaked from the corners of his eyes. "How did I get here?"

"Aya I..." Shigure couldn't figure out what to tell him and the situation with Akito was distracting him. The Family Master was down on all fours, his back arching and heaving in the manner of a cat with a hairball. Kureno knelt down and grabbed him around the middle, pulling him up tight against his chest. Akito made a rasp spluttering noise of protest, his arms battering at the air.

"Stay calm." Kureno said, his voice no affirming neutral in his suggestion. "Come on Akito- I'm right here, I won't let anything happen to you now- come on... Just keep breathing." When Akito failed to comply, Kureno lost his cool. "Could someone get me a paper bag?!" He shouted at the stunned faces surrounding him. Arata turned to Sho.

"Do it." She ordered, giving the younger woman a push in the shoulder to prompt her. "Go to the kitchen; check the drawers. There should be some there. Make haste!" She added as Sho dashed away, her long kimono trailing behind her.

"S-Shig-ure..." Ayame whimpered, clutching a hold of the inu's shirt and squeezing the material tight. Shigure grasped his hand within his own. "What's going on...?"

"I don't know..." The dog replied honestly, his eyes focused on the heaving form of Akito. The boy was flailing, his face as blue as the fire had been and his hands clenched into the shape of claws, the veins risen bulbusly through the pale flesh. Shigure watched as Kureno settled back against the floor, pulling Akito between the space of his legs and lifting his head up to try and clear his airways. The rooster's forehead was a mingled mess of sweat drops, his expression panicky. Though his actions portrayed confidence, Shigure couldn't help but think that Kureno was unaware of the particular's of the situation; why the Eviction had resulted in one of the master's panic attacks. For a moment their eyes met and Kureno bit his lip, knowing that Shigure had seen it too.

"Akito, grab my knees in your hands. Dig your nails in." The rooster said, turning his attention back to his master. Akito did as he was told, grasping a hold of the rounded caps of Kureno's knees and digging his nails into the pant material, piercing the skin beneath. It hurt, but Kureno endured it, knowing that this minor pain was a fraction of what Akito had to endure every day. "That's it. That'll keep your hands busy. And now you can release some of the tension, every time you feel pain you grip my knees as hard as you can and ride it out. Everything will be okay... It'll be all right, baby booties." He soothed.

Through the midst of the pain, Akito was able to comprehend what Kureno had called him. Baby booties. That was the nickname Kureno had given him that when he was only little. It was an affectionate name for small children, a name that he had not referred to since he had been a child himself. It was... comforting in a way to be reminded of that human element. That connection two people shared together. There had been another nickname that Akito had as a child... Small Hodgers. Another cosy name for small children, Scottish in origin he figured. But someone else had called him that... it hadn't been Kureno...

He may have stinted on that thought a while longer had not Sho returned with a paper bag at that moment. Without hesitation, Kureno snatched it and slapped it to Akito's face, no doubt bruising the boy in his haste. He held it in place as Akito breathed quickly into it, eventually moving his hands and placing them over Kureno's. He needed that touch, that warmth of human flesh against his own, especially when he was so fearful. Kureno seemed to understand this and used his other arm to wrap gently around Akito's shoulders, pressing his face against the side of the boys and rocking him, much in the same way Shigure was now rocking Ayame. This made the dog wonder, if perhaps the two were lovers. It would explain the strange mark on Akito's neck...

At long last, Akito's breaths evened out and his body relaxed. He impatiently pushed the bag away and run both hands up his face, sighing deeply.

"Are you all right...?" Kureno asked softly, brushing his hand over his head tenderly. Akito gave a slight nod, lowering a hand to press against his frail chest. Beneath the arch of his ribcage he could feel his heart thumping erratically, trying to ease the rest of his body into the usual systematic rhythm it was used to. Two panic attacks in one day was not a good sign. And what if the next time it happened, he was unable to recover from it? The pain was terrible for him and to procrastinate on the idea that it could one day increase to the point that it would kill him was terrifying. It didn't bear thinking about. So he turned his mind back to the matter that he had been pondering only earlier. That of Kureno. He looked up at the loyal servant, whose brown eyes were set on him with the grace of dignified concern. Thinking only of Akito, trying to keep him safe. Akito felt a moment of guilt; guilt that he had ever doubted Kureno's loyalty toward him. It was there, plain as anything, right before his very eyes. In Kureno's face he saw only dedication, commitment and care. Beyond the bruises and the cuts that Akito had inflicted on him, this man was still trying to protect him, even though he had done nothing but cause him pain. There was certainly some love in that, even if it wasn't plain to see.

"Kureno..." He said softly, reaching up slowly to trace the scratches carved about the roosters throat. His fingernails were able to follow them perfectly, being what had inflicted the wounds. Kureno continued to watch him, not even wincing at the touch of the man who had caused him such injury. "I'm... I'm- sorry." The words were rushed as though Akito were embarrassed and he bowed his head whilst he said them so they were nearly inaudible. But Kureno understood them. Though he had never heard Akito say the words before, he understood. He smiled tolerantly.

"Never mind Akito." He said, bringing his arm around the slim man's shoulders and pressing one hand protectively to the crown of his head. Akito whimpered as he was brought to rest against Kureno's chest; the older man's chin pressed into his still slightly damp hair. He wasn't used to this sort of personal contact; in all honesty, it made him acutely uncomfortable. Yet with his body as weak as it was now, there was little use trying to break free. And on the offhand, it felt sort of safe. Though he did his best not to let this feeling show.

"It would appear... that the ritual was a... success." Sho stated the obvious. Nobu and Arata both nodded together and Sho set to work clearing up the candles. Ayame and Shigure, still in the circles center, watched her move around them the inu still rocking his lover gently.

"Thank God you're okay..." He whispered to Ayame, bending his head to kiss the snake's sweat pricked forehead. "But... what the Hell happened? Ayame... what happened to you?"

Ayame met Shigure's eyes with a bleak sense of weariness, the long lashes drooping at the corners until they nearly caressed each respective arch of his cheek. He felt the compelling need to simply regurgitate as much as he could tell Shigure all at once but beneath that urge lay dormant the basis of fear and confusion. His very thoughts could be compared to the delicate intertwining of a ball of wool, in which the string looped around itself continuously but no end to the pattern could be found in sight. Such was his pondering. A tangled mess of barely comprehensible assumptions, theories, procrastination's and images all wound around each other so tightly that there was no way of discerning one from another. But beyond that he felt the touch of Shigure and that was all he wanted to focus on right now, lest it be drawn into the mess within his mind and wound into the tangle.

All he was able to answer to his lover was; "I can't say... I don't know Shigure..."

Shigure clearly was not satisfied with this response. He may have tried to press more information from Ayame had not Hatori entered stage right. Despite his injury, he had rushed back. Leg bandaged up to the knee and walking with the aid of crutches. His complexion looked better, though he was still slightly pale from blood loss, Shigure noted. The dragon quickly surveyed the room taking everything into account; three family elder's milling about, one with an armful of candles, Ayame and Shigure cuddling on two large chalk kanji on the floor and Kureno and Akito curled up together near his feet at the door. He raised an eyebrow uncertainly.

"I've seen Monty Python films less strange than this..." He muttered offhandedly, then with the gentlemanly air of compassion in his voice, addressed Ayame. "How are you fairing?"

"We should be asking you that very question, Hatori." Kureno remarked, leaning his head back to gaze up at the family physician. "I see the anti-venom did the job it was supposed to. That's good. The wound should heal in time, like all wounds. Even the wound of an aching heart can be healed by the passing of time."

Kureno's comment was soft and non-provoking, but Hatori didn't approve of his lack of discretion. He rarely discussed Kana and never in front of Akito, cautious of the impact that could result. He turned his eye towards the rooster; meaning to express this in a glare but noticed that the other man was not focusing on him. He had a far off glazed look on his face as though he were thinking of something else. The moment passed and the expressionless mask returned in full, angled toward the boy resting in his arms. Hatori made a slight noise in the back of his throat, denoting his affirmation more so to himself than anyone else and turned back to Ayame.

"Yes. Wound's certainly heal." He said in a somewhat dry tone. Ayame, who had been staring questioningly at Hatori's leg and crutches, squeezed Shigure's hand and looked to him.

"What happened to Hatori?" He asked innocently. The inu bit his lip and glanced at the Family Elder's then at Akito, asking silently what course of action was he to take. Was he allowed to fill Ayame in on what had happened? And what damage would this information cause his beloved when he found out that it had been his teeth that had caused the damage? Ayame adored Hatori, admired him. He would be devastated to learn of something like that, if he was not devastated already.

Akito spared Shigure the trouble. With a long-suffering sigh he managed to drag himself from the warm grip of Kureno's arms and push himself to his feet. He wobbled there, unsteadily for a moment before Kureno returned his cane to him. Akito pressed his hand against the wooden handle and leant against it, back straight and tall like an upper class gentleman. Though his manner was of definitive elegance and self-possession, Shigure couldn't help but see the weak links in Akito's facade that he was unable to hide in his state. The pinched manner of his usually handsome face, the arch of his shoulder bones painfully pressed upward against the skin, the tender wobbling of his legs. There was something... tragically beautiful about him, ill as he was aside. But there was still the strength of his personality beneath it all and it seemed to animate the body, pushing it to beyond its physical capabilities. Though Shigure had difficulty at times finding the things in Akito to like about him, there was the factor that was most easy to see. That forceful will to persevere, even if it was done in a dark, dreary, depressive way. But that was essentially Akito too.

He reminded Shigure of a spider. Spider's lay concealed in their webs and didn't attack unless something disturbed them. Akito too only attacked if something disturbed him; if the people around him acted in a way that dissatisfied him. Thinking back to the day that Akito had finally struck out at Tohru, Shigure contemplated that even his actions were spider like. The precision in which his hand had snagged her hair, the slight hiss he had emitted before the action was exacted. Spiders lunged in such a way, snaring their victims between their legs and then... killing it.

Dangerous, beautiful, perfected in the art of sanctioning. That was Akito Sohma to Shigure. And the Family Master continued to surprise him more and more by the second, just as Kureno was. There were so many secrets within the house of Sohma, and all of them appeared to be coming to light only now.

What more was in store for them?

Akito tapped his cane against the ground twice as he considered. A moment passed and he seemed to have come to a decision.

"Kureno, Hatori..." He said eyes hidden behind his hair. "Take Shigure and... -the snake- to one of the spare rooms to rest. Everything will be explained to them in due time."

"Yes Sir." Kureno replied immediately. He gave a slight bow to Akito then made his way over to Ayame and Shigure, extending his hand to them. "Come." He said gently, persuading them to stand. As Hatori moved to join them, he felt Akito gently snag his jacket sleeve. He knew what was coming even before the family head had spoken and regardless, the decision surprised him.

"Erase their memories." Came the smooth cool order.

Hatori blanched. "For what purpose? There's no reason to do that Akito and it's a rash decision to make!"

"I hope that you are not disobeying my orders for the second time running." Akito's voice was dark, his expression revealing nothing. It was carefully neutral. Hatori was not as concerned with allowing his feelings to show, but he was conscious of keeping it concealed from Ayame and Shigure. He kept his voice low.

"Akito, with all due respect, we have no idea what has caused Ayame to do this." He attempted to put forth a rational argument. "Now, I'm a doctor and what he is suffering from right now is post-traumatic stress. After some rest he may be able to tell us what happened and then we can-"

"What?" Akito asked sharply. He allowed his eyes to meet the lone visible one of Hatori's and his expression was oppressive. It was difficult, even for someone as substantial as Hatori, to hold his gaze. "Just what is it exactly that we can do Hatori? You saw the man did you not? Something unholy writhed within him of which no insanity of his own could have aspired to. Whatever caused that, I believe that the Family Elder's are fully aware of its identity, for they were able to expel it. Were they not?" For a moment he smiled and the expression was so believable that one might have been fooled into thinking that he was actually happy. Yet there was no cheer in his voice; his dark words betraying the gentle smile on his face as they followed from his lips, one after the other. "Now. I have little much invested in the snake, unlike you so do not get me wrong. But... this act is not out of my own interest. Amazingly. It is for his and Shigure's. Though I was uninformed of this... relationship that they have formed it is quite obvious that there is essentially something there. Shigure spoke a little of what occurred and he mentioned something that best remain hidden. What this is, is none of your business and neither is it any of his. In fact, I would go so far as saying that it is also none of my business either. Now something is going on here and whatever that is, I don't want it leaving this house. Were you not able to erase Shigure and Ayame's memories Hatori I may even request that you kill them to keep that information from leaking outwards like the ink from a blotted pen."

"Such things you say..." Hatori whispered, shocked. Akito continued on, intent on being heard. He felt somewhat emboldened now and raised his head haughtily, surveying Hatori down the curve of his nose.

"As such, you do have the power to take their memories from them and that is what you will do Hatori. Mainly because I do not want this information to spread beyond the walls of this house and also in part... because of the impact it will have on them." He leaned close. "Think about it: What do you think this event is going to do to them? Are you foolish enough to believe that they will simply go on living their care free existences and leave this terror behind them?" His voice contained pure dripping skepticism. He scoffed. "Don't be so stupid Hatori. You remember your precious Kana, how she was wrenched from end to end by her memories of love for you. The torment of knowing, Hatori, the memory, is what poisoned her. And should you allow it, it will poison your friends too." For a moment he appeared sympathetic; such a rare show of emotion for Akito. He reached out slowly and rested his hand on Hatori's chest, registering the beating of his heart through the shirt fabric and moved close so their bodies touched. For all his pretences, Akito liked to be close to people out of a selfish human desire for the touch of people. There was such beauty in his poise however that Hatori couldn't help but take his hand within his own. Perhaps it was but another of Akito's clever rouses to twist him around his finger; in fact he was near to certain that it was. But still... there was something there. A sense that maybe... somehow, the emotion was genuine. When nothing in Akito seemed genuine but the sadness and the rage, it was truly difficult to find the compassion. Yet Hatori felt that it had to be there. He was human after all.

"I know... it's hard..." Akito said sounding as though he was unfamiliar with how to place the appropriate words. He trailed his hand down Hatori's chest to rest on the slope beneath the dragon's ribcage, bringing Hatori's hand with it. He was trying so hard, Hatori realized. So hard to fit the expectation he assumed they all must have wanted of him. Yet, the decisions he had to make didn't make him a good person and he realized that what he was asking of Hatori was not going to make him a good guy. When you were the Head of the Sohma family, there was very little you could do to make yourself look kind. It wasn't a flattering occupation. "But... you- you must think of the alternative. Of Shigure and the s- of Ayame. They will hurt. Hatori, they are innocent. They shouldn't be made to suffer."

"Shigure and Ayame are hardly innocent." Hatori deadpanned looking over at his two friends as they were supported by Kureno. The rooster called his name and made a gesture with his head to suggest he join them. With a sigh, Hatori consented to the inevitable, feeling as though his own inner emotions were slapping like waves at his physical strength. The inevitability made it hard for him to remain standing. It was always like that when he had to erase a person's memory. "Very well." He said at last. "I shall do as you say."

"And that is one thing I can always count on from you." Akito said softly, moving his hand to gently stroke Hatori's cheek and then stepping back so it fell to his side. He smiled ironically for a moment. "With one exception."

Hatori didn't respond to this, for there was truly no point. All he could do now was to take Shigure and Ayame somewhere private and steal from them the memory they wouldn't even know was stolen. That Hatori would live the rest of his life knowing he had stolen. But that therein was his own curse. Just as the secrets of the Sohma clan were Akito's.

They made their steady way towards the hallway, Kureno generally carrying both Ayame and Shigure whilst Hatori limped along beside them. As they moved further away, Akito remembered what it was he had initially come downstairs for and called out to Kureno. The rooster turned his head slightly to imply that he was attending.

"After you have relieved yourself of Shigure and Ayame, come find me." The family master said with a slight wave of his hand. "There is a matter I must discuss with you."

"Of course." Kureno replied with obvious interest. It had been years since he and Akito had engaged in a decent conversation and he had to wonder just what might have prompted Akito to decide to now. Perhaps he still retained some guilt from that morning and wanted to amend his feelings. Putting his thoughts on hold, Kureno returned to the matter of hand and continued to lead Shigure and Ayame to the best possible room he could think of at the moment. His own.

When Akito was positively sure that there were out of immediate hearing range he turned his attention back to the Family Elder's.

"Well." He said.

"Well." Arata replied, folding her hands before her waist. It was obvious that she was not concerned with Akito's presence or the less then impressed expression on his face.

"I want answers." The boy said simply, barely moving his body as he spoke. This cool countenance barely masked the seething pit of confusion and anger boiling beneath. It was all he could do the keep from hitting someone and right now, Arata and her placid face was looking the most inviting.

Arata appeared confused by the question. "And what answers would those be, my love?"

"Don't call me that." Akito sneered. "You have no love for me and I am not naive nor desperate enough to try and persuade myself that you do. I drove myself crazy for years before I figured that out." His voice lowered another nuance until its darkness seemed to delve within the shadows that crept along the floor. "I remember being the master of this family... I'm sure that isn't some beautiful fairy tale I made up to keep myself entertained. Therefore I demand answers. Answers to these secrets that you so scandalously conceal. You performed some act of magic here today, magic of which I was unaware even existed. Curses I can understand but this..." He shook his head. "There are strange things happening all around Arata. Nobu, Sho. I can feel it all over... all over my body and inside where I hardly feel anything..." At this he lifted his kimono gently from his shoulders and allowed to slide sensually from his fine frame. The bruising inflicted to him in the shower only earlier shone a ghoulish purple in the light that bounced off of his bare skin. He shivered and spoke with tears welling in his eyes. "Please... tell me what's happening..."

The Three Family Elders' were unable to answer for a few moments for they were too invested in their inspection of Akito's body. Sho's mouth was opening and closing at random as her eyes roved over the multi-colored flesh. Nobu was starting to look pale.

"Oh my God..." Sho whispered walking up to stand behind Arata. She rested a hand on the other woman's shoulder and covered her own mouth with her hand. "Arata... Arata it's... it's..."

"Don't speak the name..." Arata hissed, her eyes full of something that resembled hatred, only deeper. "To speak that name would be a curse unto itself... that is all this mis-color of bruising is."

"It is a sign Arata." Nobu stated, coming up on her other side. His eyes hadn't left Akito. "We scorned its words, we ignored its cries and now... it has shown us that we were wrong..."

"Oh God..." Sho was whimpering, backing away ever so slowly. "It's going to get us... it's going to come back to get us just like it said it would. It said we would never be rid of it and it's true! Oh God we're going to die!!"

"Shut up Sho." Arata said harshly.

But the other woman wouldn't listen. She refused to listen. "'You'll never be rid of me! I'll come back!' That's what it said!! Oh God, Oh God, Oh God, Oh God- it's gonna get us! It's gonna get us!!" He bent forward violently at the waist, clutching her head shaking and sobbing. Akito pulled his robes back on, confused by this erratic display. He couldn't understand why the revealing of the bruising had such a violent reaction, considering that he hadn't even explained the particulars. His eyes locked on Sho and he sensed that her resolve to keep these secrets was weaker than the other two.

"What's are you talking about?" He said clearly, enunciating in such a way that should be able to get through to her. She answered, practically screamed through the mess of her hair, yellow eyes wild in barely contained insanity.

"BANE!!" She shrieked digging her nails into the sides of her face. "The bane is upon you!!"

SCENE CHANGE

Ayame had never been in Kureno's bedroom before. Considering that the two of them were hardly what you would call close and the fact that he avoided visiting the Main House on the best of occasions, he supposed that he really shouldn't have found this fact all that surprising. In different circumstances he might have enjoyed looking around and there were a most alluring stack of drawings on a table in the corner that would have been worth a browse. But now was not a different circumstance. Now was the worst of circumstances he could think of.

He moaned against Shigure's side, letting out a shrill whimper of despair as the inu was tugged from his grip and deposited roughly on the bed. A second later, Kureno moved Ayame beside him and watched the snake desperately turn himself in towards Shigure, seeking out the warmth giving body that gave him the most comfort. Shigure conformed and wrapped his arms around Ayame's lithe shoulders, pulling him in tight so that the entire length of their bodies aligned. Kureno watched interestedly, noting to Hatori as the doctor dragged himself into the room with much difficulty.

"Now there is a love that anyone would long for just once in a lifetime." He uttered as the two lovers curled together on the bed, comforting hands attempting to soothe over the fear and the confusion binding each and every moment. Hatori made a dismissive noise.

"I knew what such love was like. Once." He said blandly, noting the very bitterness he felt was ever so apparent in his speech. Kureno turned to him abruptly, eyes begging pardon.

"Forgive me. Sometimes I lack tact." He said with a small bow. "It was not my intention to dredge up painful memories for you Hatori."

"It's alright, I know you didn't. Besides... I think it's quite apparent that you yourself feel love for someone."

Kureno raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What has brought you to that conclusion, might I ask?"

"The way you were holding him. There was tenderness in that, albeit he tries to hide it I'm sure." Hatori moved his head so that his bangs would not obscure his view of Kureno. He wanted to see the other man's expression.

There was merely a placid response, a silently mouthed 'oh' and the impression of mild amusement.

"Ah... you mean Akito?" He asked rhetorically, then chuckled. "Though one eye may not serve you fully Hatori, it is plain to see that you out of all the Sohma's see's the most." He tapped the skin beneath his eye as though to verify this and then winced as he made contact with the bruise. "Well that was smart Kureno... Oh anyway... do not get the wrong idea Hatori, about Akito and I. I was given to Akito as a servant from a very young age. I have been socialized to serve him, you must understand this. And after so many years naturally I have developed love for him. Love for the way he depends on me and love for the little parts of him that no one else is able to see. But that love is paternal Hatori. It is not the love shared between our two friends here." He gestured to Ayame and Shigure, embracing tightly on the bed, unaware of everything else going on around them. "Truly... there is something magical about this. Something one can't help but feel jealous of, if you know what I mean?"

He didn't wait for an answer, but stooped at the base of the bed and effectively relieved Ayame and Shigure of their boots, lining them up neatly against the wall. They shifted somewhat at the disturbance but made no move to assist Kureno in his task or hinder it. They appeared lost in one another. Or lost in their individual thoughts and merely clinging to one another as an life support into reality, to keep themselves treading water in the turmoiltuous sea of their hidden contemplation's.

"The poor dears..." Kureno murmured as he stood up, shaking his head sadly. He gave Hatori a pat on the back, his tone cheering up slightly. "I'm going to make some tea. Do you want a cup?"

"Would it be possible to get a coffee?" The doctor asked, feeling as though the caffeine would do him good. Kureno smiled and nodded.

"Of course, it's no trouble at all. Just keep an eye on them until I get back." With that he disappeared up the hallway and back the way they came. Hatori was left alone with his two best friends and the terrible task he had to complete. He sighed and brushed back his bangs, feeling like today had been the longest day in a long time. Everything seemed to be moving so slowly, each bad feeling intent on being dragged out to the agonizing maximum. And he refused to let this one be carried on for any longer.

He glanced over at Ayame and Shigure again. To his amazement, he found that they were asleep. Shigure undoubtedly was exhausted from his tiring run from the Old Road back to the Main House and Ayame was probably worn out from his short possession or the Eviction's affect on him. One or the other was probable. This actually made things easier as the Erasing could take place whilst an individual was asleep and it meant he wouldn't have to witness Ayame and Shigure's betrayed expressions when they realized what it was he was doing.

Hatori made his way over to the bed and as gently as he could sat down on the edge of it. He was thankful that Kureno was not a big fan of futon's as that would have made the act of seating himself twice as difficult. For a moment he watched the peaceful expressions on his friends' faces. Ayame's lips parted slightly and the breaths were drawing in and out with barely the minimal of sound. His hands were pressed into the small of Shigure's back, locked around him as securely as the clasp on a diary with no intention of every being broken. Shigure's face was buried in Ayame's mass of hair and his breathing was labored. Heavy. But he seemed content regardless. But sleep had taken that agony away from them and in the light of the next day, it would all be too real again. And then, as Akito had said, the poisoning would begin and Hatori couldn't bear the heartbreak again. The sorrow alone of seeing his two dearest friends waste away as Kana had and ultimately the inevitability that they would not be able to remain together. The memory of the terror would be further enhanced by the presence of each other. Yet Hatori couldn't seem to fool himself into believing that he was saving them, despite knowing this. But what Kureno had said, about his love for Akito, reminded him of the love he had for Ayame and Shigure. He would not allow them to suffer. And if the cost was the memories that would tear them apart from inside than that was a sacrifice that he was sure they'd be willing to make.

Hatori lightly touched Ayame's cheek and settled his hand over the closed eyes. Ayame mumbled softly at the contact made didn't wake up. There was moisture in Hatori's eyes as he held his hand in place, focusing his energy on the erasing process.

"Everything will be all right..." And they came. The words that always came whenever he was about to erase someone's memory. They were of a comfort to him somehow. "In the morning, it will all be nothing but a bad dream. One more nightmare you can forget about."

But some nightmares can't be forgotten.

SCENE CHANGE

When Kureno made his way through the entranceway of the Main House no one was there. He supposed the Family Elder's had returned to their daily duty's and that Akito had gone on his way. The only evidence of their ritual was the large white smudge where he had drawn the Kanji. He was pleased that the Eviction had gone as planned but many a great deal of things worried him. Though they were exemplary at hiding it, Kureno could see that it was of some concern to the other Elder's as well. He made a mental note to speak with them as soon as possible.

Kureno had the door to the kitchen part way open when he was distracted by the sound of music. He turned his head, trying to judge where it was coming from. The Music Room was a couple of doors away and he guessed that this was the most likely explanation. With that in mind he put the coffee and tea on hold and decided to follow the music. As he made his way up the hall it was clear that someone was playing the piano. And playing it quite well at that. The notes were clear and concise. Falling together in beautiful synchronized fashion, in such a heartbreakingly perfect way. Kureno peeked his head around the door to the music room, expecting to find one of the Elders at the piano or even a servant who had given into the temptation to play the magnificent oak instrument. Which was why he was so stunned to see none other than Akito sitting before the piano, his long fingers playing skillfully over the keys. Kureno couldn't help but move closer, mouth gaping slightly ajar at the magnificent melody the Family Master was tapping out. His fingers flew along the keys quickly but accurately, up to one end of the piano then back. The tune was mournful yet beautiful. It seemed to speak of all the feelings Akito embodied. Indeed as he played, he appeared to be lulling himself into a delicate sense of personal intimacy with the piano as if the somber notes were indeed the autobiographical tale of his sufferings. Kureno felt his eyes well with tears. Truly he had never witnessed such pulchritude in the art of music. Such splendor and beauty.

Akito's fingers paused on the keys and he turned his head slightly so he could see Kureno. A delicate smile played on his lips.

"Come in." He said, gesturing to the space beside him. "I've been waiting for you. There's something I would very much like to show you."

"There's already so much you have showed me." Kureno whispered, unable to keep the emotion from his voice. He simply longed to shower Akito with kisses; his face, his cheeks, his lips... It was as though the dusky essence that poured from the piano was making love to him and it was Akito conducting each and every arch of ecstasy. Of course he had heard people playing the piano before with exceptional skill but nothing that rivaled this. There was the art of making music alone and then there was the art of making love to that music.

Akito smiled a little coyly. "Thankyou."

Kureno made his way over and sat down beside him, focusing his gaze on him with an unwavering admiration. It was shameful, the adoration he felt for his master at that moment. It border lined embarrassing. Truly at that moment he may just have agreed with Hatori that there was love of an intimate nature for Akito. His brown eyes spoke of this and Akito was acutely aware of it. And enjoyed seeing the effect his spell had over the older man.

"I was unaware that you were able to make such music." Kureno admitted, sliding his hand up over the keys to rest on Akito's. Their fingers intertwined and Kureno's thumb lightly sponged the fleshy part of Akito's thumb. The younger man seemed surprised at the attention but used it to his advantage. One of the most dangerous things about Akito was his sex appeal and he was prone to using it to get his way more often than not. Now though, there was really nothing to gain from playing up to Kureno's actions. Only the thrill of flirting and that was something Akito was not used to receiving himself. Particularly not with Kureno. The only real... well, friend he had. He couldn't let that be ruined. With a tepid sigh he pulled his hand away, but in way that didn't look deliberately offensive. Kureno didn't seem offended, he simply continued to look at Akito in that perma amazed way as though the boy had sprouted angel wings from his shoulder blades. The Family Master cleared his throat and forced a smile.

"I don't remember who taught me... but I learnt. And for as long as I can remember I practised." He played a few notes as though to support this statement. "When no one could see me or hear me. Late at night if I had to."

Kureno shook his head. "I don't believe it."

"I'm good at hiding things."

Akito continued to play an unfamiliar melody, as Kureno observed, soothed by the passionate sound of the notes. He had never known Akito to be passionate in anything and this was thrilling to see as well as hear.

"Is this what you wanted to show me?" He asked as the Master's fingers traveled across the black keys like the articulate brush strokes of a painter. Akito immediately stopped playing at these words and he grew deadly serious. Yet there was no malice detectable in his voice, such as there normally was when he was serious. Only a cold certainty and a trace of respect deep within.

"Kureno... a little while ago I... I had a dream..." He said, immediately berating himself for how stupid this sounded. There was no sure-fire way to convince someone of something than telling them that it 'came to you in a dream.' "I know that this probably sounds like folderol but... there was a woman in my dream and she was singing. It's strange... but... in that moment I felt as though the words she sang, the tune, everything... it felt familiar to me somehow." He chuckled suddenly as though suddenly ashamed of himself. "Call me crazy but I... I felt like maybe somehow you'd know the song. It was like this woman who was singing it was here at some point and I figured that since you've been around a tad longer than me, you might just recognize it."

Kureno considered. "Can you play it? Remember the words?"

"That's just the thing; I can!" The boy declared, setting his fingers against the keys in renewed determination. "It's almost like they're flowing through me even as we speak. The tune, though I've never played it. The words, though I've never spoken them... but Kureno... it's not like I can really sing you know..."

"You'd be surprised." The rooster said with feeling, making himself as comfortable on the piano stool as he could. "Besides, I'm not one to judge. And I may just know this song if you think you've heard it before. If it sounds familiar you've most likely heard it while you were a child and you've simply suppressed the exact knowing of its origin."

"Do you think?" Akito wondered.

Kureno nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised. In any event, play it for me and sing the words. I may just be able to tell you."

Akito gave a nod in reply and gazed down at his hands as if to make sure that they were in the right places. When he had affirmed this, his fingers began to flow across the keys and the music came. Soft, lulling and sweet. And then Akito's voice joined it and there was the essence of hope and longing within the words. Kureno couldn't believe the power of the voice Akito was revealing. Despite having something of a scratchy edge to it when speaking, the act of singing seemed to smooth his voice out so that it flowed like the sweetest of honey through a warm breeze. It was gentle, though feminine in it's properties, so much so that it may have been mistaken it for a woman singing. And it was this that concerned Kureno, because the first time he had heard this particular song being sung, it had been by a woman. And there was little discerning difference between her voice and Akito's.

"I was so happy when you smiled

your smile breaks through the clouds of gray

Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep

Waiting with patience for the spring

When the flowers will bloom renewed again

Knowing there's more beyond the pain of today

Although the scars of yesterday remain

You can go on living as much as your heard believes

You can't be born again although you can change

Let's stay together always

Whenever you cried I cried for you

I'd always remain to dry you tears

So I could see into those eyes I longed to look into

And the day that you turned and walked away

I cried 'till my eyes began to burn

Praying for the day whenever you'd return

But now you've gone, you've flown away

Heaven's called you back to where you came

You can't be born again and nothing will change

We'll never have together anyway

I was so happy when you smiled

Your smile broke through the clouds of gray

Lifting me up from winter's icy touch

I waited with patience for the spring

When you'd come home to be with me again

Hoping there'd be no more pain beyond today

But the scars of yesterday remain

And I will go on living because my heart believes

I won't be born again but I still can change

I'll wait forever always."

Akito finished the final note and lowered his head, eyes closed to savour the song in everything it was able to give him. He waited for Kureno's reaction; silently hoping the rooster would be able to reward him with the answer he wanted. The older man leaned close to whisper something, his voice guarded.

"We've got company."

Akito immediately turned to the door, climbing to his feet so he was better able to face the intrusion. He wasn't prepared for who it actually was however.

"Uh... Excuse me!" Ritsu cried, bowing reflexively at the Family Master and nearly upending the large suitcase that he was dragging with him. "I'm sorry to disturb you like this! It must be such an imposition, I apologize!"

"I'll get rid of him." Kureno nominated grimly as he got to his feet. Akito raised a hand to indicate he cease his actions and turned his attention back to the chestnut haired monkey of the zodiac who seemed too fearful to even raise himself from a bow. Though he didn't know the boy very well Akito had heard a few interesting stories about the reclusive Ritsu Sohma. The most obvious being that he cross-dressed because he felt less pressured to conform to masculine standards. Today however there was no sign of a lacy ribbon or feminine garment in sight. The boy was wearing a conservative pair of jeans and a designer shirt with small black vines encircling up around one shoulder. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail with longer bits loose at the front. Apparently he was only a year older than Akito, a fact that amused to the Family Master to some point. He seemed much younger by confidence standards.

"You can stand up." Akito said, feeling it was pretty generous of him to allow the monkey the privilege. Ritsu balked a bit at the address and then straightened up, stammering awkwardly the whole time.

"T-thankyou." He stuttered, lowering his head so he wouldn't have to meet the intimidating Family Master's gaze. His hands were folded demurely in front of him, gripping the handle of the suitcase so tightly his knuckles had gone white.

Kureno set his hand against his hip, cocking an eyebrow at his fellow zodiac member. "Mr. Ritsu, what are you doing here?" He asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance. Ritsu jumped again and looked as though he was about to burst into tears.

"I... I-I'm sorry! I know I'm such a bother!"

"You'd be less of one if you would be so kind as to answer the question." Said the rooster irritably.

Ritsu nodded, feeling his face burn with embarrassment. How he wished that there were someone else standing beside him so that he would not feel so intimidated!

"Yes! I'm sorry." He repeated, despite Kureno's obvious hint to him ceasing the incessant apologizing. "You see I... well I c-came down from the Hot springs to see Ayame on Saturday and... I just stopped in at the Main House to inform everyone that I was here and whether there was a room available for me to stay in and... I heard the piano and- I'm sorry! I just wanted to come see who was playing! The music was beautiful!"

"Thankyou." Akito said modestly with a nod of his head. "Yet that doesn't excuse the fact that you're a sniveling little busy body now does it?"

"You're right! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!!" The monkey sobbed, bowing as many times as he could handle it without getting dizzy. "I'll go away now! I'm sorry, I promise I'll never bother you again!!"

Just as he was about to make good his escape, Akito raised his hand again, this time to him.

"Don't run away." He said in a scolding voice, seating himself back down on the piano stool. "I'm flattered that you liked my music. Perhaps the song reminded you of something?"

Ritsu paused in his act of retreating and gave a hesitant glance in Akito's direction, questioning the genuine nature of this question. It seemed to be, so he turned back around and took a step into the room. This must have been Akito's idea of small talk, he figured.

"Well... actually... it did remind me of something... sir..." He affirmed blushing. It was nerve-wracking speaking with the family master like this! He was glad now that he'd gone to the toilet as soon as he'd gotten here; otherwise he may just have wet himself!

Akito leaned forward anxiously, long hands pressed to the bony contours of his kneecaps. He was practically dying to know!

"What does it remind you of?"

Ritsu considered it for a moment. "When I was very little... and my family stayed at the Main House for whatever the reason... I remember always being afraid to go up those stairs to where your room is now."

"Why?"

"I was... frightened... Because every time I'd go near and so much as look up, I'd hear this- woman singing... singing the saddest song I'd ever heard." Ritsu shivered as he thought back to those memories as a child. Memories he hadn't stinted on for years. "I don't remember exactly... but- I believe it sounded something like that song you were just singing right now sir... beautiful... but heartbreaking... I'm sorry." He added pointlessly, afraid that he had offended somehow. But Akito was deep in though, thumbnail pressed to the upper arch of his lip and eyebrows furrowed.

"A voice that frightened you... from my room?" He repeated. Ritsu nodded. "So then... that room has always been used by family master's. It couldn't have been anyone else but one..."

"Simple when you think about it, is it not?" Kureno said disconnectedly from his side. He turned and met Akito's eyes with his own and there was pity there. And remorse. Remorse at the truth that had been unveiled. "Perhaps this dream of yours told of the past after all Akito. For it was your mother, Tamiko, that wrote that song- thirteen years ago."

Authors note: Hoo boy I love my cliffhangers! Sorry, I know I was supposed to reveal the secret about the floorboard in this chapter but it was already long enough as it was and I thought it could be best put to use in the next chapter. Uh so... R and R but no flammies for the record. Spoiler for next chapter: The secret about the floorboard will be revealed, Ayame and Shigure will have some lemon and much wangst will ensure. For a change. Join me next time if you need an overload of angsty junk that may possibly make your think philosophical thoughts of the Universe and how everything is made from the same essence. Stay tuned!


	7. Autumn Lost

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Born to be Broken

Disclaimer: I'm flattered if you think I'm smart enough to come up with something like Fruits Basket but I'm afraid that due to legal reasons I shall have to burst your bubble and tell you that I sadly, do not own it. Le sigh. I do however own this little fanfic! ... Not much of a consolation prize, huh?

Note: Sorry this chapter took so long! I promise that the next one will be up sooner than this one was. Hmm... things really start to kick off in the chapter after this one but you gotta have the stuff that's in between right? 

Now to thank my reviewers:

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Demeter1: It's always nice to come across another person who appreciates Akito as much as I do! This chapter is my least favorite one to date, partly because I don't like the way I wrote it and also because of the way the character's turned out; especially Akito. The next couple of chapters are the ones I've been working up to and I'm aiming to work as much Akito into them as possible, whilst remaining true to his character. I'm not sure I did that in this chapter, but I'll leave that up to you to decide. Yes I'm doing some weird things with the relationships right now, huh? Though Akito is (Spoiler-) going to end up involved with an OC, I wanted to make references to the relationships that many fanfiction writers see him possibly having with both Kureno and Shigure. I would have added Hatori too but I still think that Hatori is straight. It is kind of feasible that Akito could have feelings for Shigure, so I'll work with that to the best of my ability! You mentioned that Kureno is concerned that the 'secret' could affect Akito in a negative way. Though you see his reaction to the 'secret' in this chapter, you won't get to hear his reasoning until the next one. Sorry! But you're spot on. You are figuring it out well but there is plenty I have yet to reveal but so far I must compliment you on a job well done! (Claps) As for the 'Bane' well... that'll come to light soon too. But your ideas of what it could be are interesting... Oh and I'm working on those paragraphs, BTW! Hope you enjoy the next chapter, even though I don't particularly like it myself!

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Purple Witchy Angel: I'm glad that I'm getting you to like Akito more and more! He needs all the love he can get, poor bugger. Still, you'll probably change your mind with this chapter. I'm not exactly proud of it... uh, but regardless, maybe you won't notice the faults I saw whilst writing it! (Hopeful grin.) Akito will be getting cooler and kewler as the chapters wear on, but in this chapter he's kind of wanky. That's entirely my fault. Just a warning.

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Foxgrl991: Yay! A reader from 'The Game we Play' who also enjoys this fic! Whoo-hoo that's a first! Updates a little late and for that I apologize. Good to know that you're enjoying it and hopefully my laziness and tardy updates won't put you off reading and reviewing! (She says ever so desperately) Well let's just face it; I'm desperate for positive feedback, I won't deny it!

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Rogue3: (Laughs evilly) Sorry about the cliffhangers, love! I hate them myself and it drives me nuts when I read a fic that ends in a cliffhanger. To be honest, I never originally set out to conclude my chapters that way, it just sort of happened in the story plan and worked as a great outset for the following addition. I know it's aggravating and I promise I'll try and update my frequently to ease your stress but I'm a very busy high-school girl with several very scary assignments hanging over my shoulders, so times a little scarse... But NaPap never gives up! ... Okay kill me now. I've turned into Tohru. Next chapter Ayame and Yuki will in fact be having some slight bonding, but not as much as you might have been hoping for. I could probably squeeze some more in but it would cut down on Shigure/Aya lemon time... is that a sacrifice you are willing to make? Hmm... and as for the price that will be paid in order to end the curse... yes indeedly do, it does have something to do with Ayame and Akito. Centrally. But other characters play important roles too. But you'll have to keep reading to find out! (Another evil cackle)

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Chickenslave: Almighty chicken slave with power, I thank you for your review which helped me to reach my goal of forty. (Bows to the chicken slave) The Lucky deal will not be revealed until a few more chapters so try and keep it Mom, okay? You're the only one out of anyone who reads this (besides me) that knows what's going on. Don't leak it! Okay? Okay?! Good. Hope you weren't holding your breath for the next chapter because you'd be dead by now, love!

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LuceScuro: Your favorite character is Kureno, ay? Good taste, my dear. Not only did you appreciate Ayame for having an actual personality and for having a relationship with Shigure, but you also appreciate Ku-ku-chan! On that note I must ask, do you like the way that I am presenting him? Since I haven't read the manga, I'm not certain of Kureno's personality and since you are a Ku-Ku fan, I was wondering if he seems feasible to you? One things for sure, he's certainly more than just a humble little chicken slave in this fic! He's a chicken slave with power! (Raises fist in the air) And he's going to get cooler and cooler in the upcoming chapters. I'm talking full out fighting style coolness. Oops... slipping info again... N E way, I'm glad you're enjoying it and I hope that I'm doing Kureno right by you! Oh yeah and the song was the FB theme song. That was me just trying to give the song relation to the events and characters. I thought it made sense used in the context I placed it. But that might be just me! (Sweatdrops)

Well that's the thanking done! Now, onto the fic!

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"Some stories disappear into the breeze, like the falling of cherry blossoms in the starch clutch of Autumn. Such as is the story of the Sohma family master's, wherein the details of their lives remain taped behind the time of their death. In all walks of life, there are many things that children should never come to know of their parents. There are the secrets, the lies... the truths. ...Ah yes... the truth; far more dangerous than the lie for the truth is what causes the most harm when we come to realize that perhaps our parents are not who we are led to believe they are. That the colidiscope of colors and shapes that we have come to see them within, is only part of the twisted illusion we force ourselves to believe.

Akito... you know as well as I do, that the past of the Sohma clan has always preferred to remain solely in the past's possession. The memories of those who came before us and who have left our world for the next. But... since you ask me for answers, despite the veil that seeks to conceal it, I shall tell you the story of your mother.

Her name was Tamiko Sohma, the twentieth master of the Sohma clan, daughter of Calido and Kaie Sohma. I was seven years old, merely a child of comprehensible stamina when I first met her acquaintance. I remember the evening clearly and yet I have no memory of the day's preceding it. The air was crisp, pale... like the touch of new sheets before they have been washed for the first time. It seemed as though I would be able to reach my hand within the threads of the breeze and crush the day between my fingers; receiving in turn the sound of crinkling tissue paper. The season was Autumn and the days were growing darker. Children of the Sohma family feared to venture too deep into the evening, less the horror stories their parent's told them came true in the unforgiving darkness. Yet I found myself being led from my safe protected home, into the mysterious evening, steered toward the Main House and the new arrival awaiting within.

Tamiko was twenty-five years old when she became pregnant with you Akito. She and your father Ken'shin had been trying hard for years to conceive a child, lest Tamiko's life end before the line was guaranteed to be succeeded by the next appropriate suitor. Many complication's had arisen before they had been blessed with their first child and for a time it was thought that perhaps neither individual was fertile. Therefore when the announcement finally came that Tamiko was pregnant; a great celebration was held, lasting an entire day and night. Nine months later I found myself being pushed within the doorway of the Main House and presented before the Master Couple in the room at the top of the staircase. Even now, I still remember the coldness that seemed to coagulate within the stagnant form of Tamiko; her thin frame turned to profile against the circular window. More sickly and pale then I had ever realized, having only ever seen her in passing, usually from the window of the Masters' room. She was beautiful, of that there is no doubt. Her hair as long and black as a Raven's wing captured the sunlight from outside and seemed to send it sliding down past her shoulders like the flowing movement of silk against silk. Her eyes, though usually hidden beneath her long bangs were dark and enticing, her lips a classy shade of blood red that appeared to be painted from the freshest cut throat. But there was nothing hospitable in her disposition, no welcome in her somber eyes. She was a mere shape in the horizon to myself, standing by the door with my tiny, quivering hands clasped together before me, the way one might seek to repel negative energy from entering the body.

Ken'shin however was an entirely different story. Tall, raven haired with a broad personable face that one couldn't help but be drawn to immediately. I mean no offense to your mother, but I must be honest Akito; she was an intimidating woman. Intimidating in such a way that you yourself are. But Ken'shin had this ability to take a room heavy with tension and lift the great weight to reveal the light beneath. I was comfortable in his presence.

My father encouraged me to bow and as I bent my waist to stoop Ken'shin begged us not to express such 'anal formalities.' From Tamiko's expression I could see that she disagreed but voiced not her objection to Ken'shin's command. The Master Couple then presented for our inspection the child that had been born only that morning. No bigger than a loaf of bread and near to the same white color. I must admit, you were a pitiful sight dear Akito. We were told that when you were born it was upside down with the umbilical cord around your neck. You hadn't been breathing. Born dead, they feared and the doctor Minoru set to work reviving you, pumping your too tiny chest until your weak heart was forced to beat. Only then did you start breathing and the choked sobs came forth as though to affirm that you had well and truly come to life. You never really cried much as a baby. That was from no lack of desire however, the simple truth being that you were far too weak to sustain even the heartiest cry for food, warmth, attention. The basic need of the infant was left to the blind intuition of the parent and you, unable to guide them, could but wait until they realized what it was you needed.

The day we met for the first time, you wrapped your tiny hands around my finger- pulling the tip to your mouth and gently sucked on the end. Your eyes didn't even open. You were like a newborn puppy, seeking out the life giving necessities in a world where sight provided no aid. Ken'shin allowed me to hold you and it wasn't until later that I understood why they were all trying so hard to prompt me into establishing a bond with this child I had only ever heard about. Tamiko watched sullenly from beside the window, her eyes glassy in the dying light from outside. I could feel her envy of me, the resentment- anger at never being able to see her child grow up. Twenty-five years old and she was thinner than a railway spike, her skin sallow and sunken between the bone. She knew her time was near. The pregnancy had but hastened the curses affect on her body and soon she would join her forefather's. The Family Elder's no longer cared and their visit's to see her were made very sparingly. She had fulfilled her most important role as Sohma Family master; she had given them an heir and ensured that the bloodline would continue. Her life no longer possessed that safety badge to it, which had kept her safe. And I think she was fully aware of it. Her protection was extinguished in the birth of her son.

Tamiko had named you and I cannot help but think it vaguely appropriate in symbolic jest of her own life coming to a close and the ultimatum that yours, one day, would meet the same bitter end. Turning; constant turning of the seasons. Enfolding. Ensnaring. Eternal withering. Apathy. Falling. The cold and the dark drawing in of the days that now surrounded us. You were to be 'The-child-of-Autumn' for that was when you were born. But... I can't help but think there are different reasons. Autumn is synonymous with the season wherein the leaves, the trees and plants die. Everywhere there is death and the despairing cry of all falling to the ground as it tries to cling to life in it's frightened state. And the futility of it all. The inevitability.

'Meet Akito Sohma.' My father had said of the small helpless bundle in my arms. I regarded the child cautiously. 'He is to be the next family master, following Tamiko. Take kindly to him.'

'Hello Akito.' I remember saying. But I was confused. Within the House of Sohma, there was nothing particularly special about me. Especially being one of the cursed it was surprising that I was even tolerated being around the Master Couple; let alone permitted the honor of holding their first child, heir to the Sohma legacy! My hands were growing clammy as the suspicion within me grew. I was a young child but I was intelligent enough to know that something was going to be asked of me and that I would have to return the request in full. Fealty was the price, I was to learn.

Ken'shin had smiled and there seemed to be nothing of falsity within that warm, open man. As he spoke however I began to sense the very pain outlining each word, though his expression had all too easily attempted to conceal it. He informed me of the deal that my father had made with them; the deal I had only then become aware of. As it turned out my father, whom had worked so hard to care for me after my mother had passed away, my strong dependable father who I looked up to and admired- was giving me away as a possession of the boy within my arms. In my anger and astonishment I could have cast you down upon the floor and beaten my father with my fists until the skin was scraped from the bone. I didn't understand. Until this day I still find it difficult to discern the reasoning, despite the great length of time I have had to accept my duty. He left me there that day, frightened, uncertain; in a family I knew nothing about and a child I was forever bound to. I thought that I was going to be taken into the care of Ken'shin and Tamiko and whilst this was not exactly my cup of tea I thought to make the best of what I had. But... this was also an incorrect assumption. Truth to the matter was that you-Akito, were to be taken into _my _care and I into the care of the Family Servant's. Whilst you would still be living in the house of your parent's, responsibility fell to me to take care of you in the fundamentals of bathing, dressing, feeding etc. Tamiko herself was often too weak to participate actively in your upbringing, but she did her best in the passing of the years. Ken'shin was more than helpful but his heart remained solely invested in his wife and whenever she remained confined to that room at the top of the stairs, gazing out into the world beyond, more often than not he was there by her side. Providing her with the company that perhaps she did not even desire.

You are like her in so many ways Akito. That affinity for her own personal space and the desire to establish human contact amongst those alone that she see's as being fit. But in spite of all this, in spite of the passing of the years and the long days spent apart from one another, she had much love for you. Often as we would walk in the garden's, you wrapped from head to toe in jumpers and scarves to resist the cold, we would see her standing at the window and hear her beautiful voice float down toward us. I didn't know it then, but Tamiko would always sing the new songs she had written to the two of us before they were sent to the publishers. On one occasion as I led you beneath the window once more, Tamiko dropped something down for you to catch. Such a simple gift to give and so pure white that it became obscured against the wall of the building as it fell. But lo and behold you did catch it. A single white feather, perhaps stray from the tail of a songbird. This was something of a dear and precious token to you, for the servant's among the Sohma family often referred to Tamiko as 'Songbird.' And songbird she was; contained inside the tiniest of cages in which she was unable to spread her wings and was destined to die after having only lived to sing. You held onto that little feather tightly and you called up to her, 'Mommy! Mommy!' But she didn't come to the window.

My chores within the Main House were tedious to the point of being somewhat mundane. But they gave me something to occupy my time, to keep my mind away from the sadness that was Tamiko and her doomed child, Akito. One day, I believe I was- oh – about twelve maybe... I had been handed some fresh sheets and ordered to change all the beds in the Main House. Obligingly I went about my business... until I came to the room at the top of the stairs. The Master's room.

You had taken sick that day Akito and I knew for a fact that your father was tending to you personally at one of the other houses. Minoru's I suppose. The door to the room was slightly ajar and it was common knowledge that Tamiko was fanatical about her privacy. On one quite infamous occasion she had physically beaten a servant girl with her jewelry box for walking in unannounced. I certainly did not want to risk such abrasions on my behalf and therefore took extra care to always knock and then bow when I was permitted entry. The humble servant was usually the one most likely to walk away without their ears boxed in. Yet, my common sense failed to reprimand me that day and I rationalized that the door being ajar may just mean that Tamiko herself was not present in the room, considering how careful she was to keep her door firmly closed at all times. On that pretence I decided to head on in without knocking.

Akito... what I am about to tell you will undoubtedly cause you some amount of distress. But if you want the answers, then I am sorry but this truth cannot be omitted simply to spare you the pain. I have warned you and if you ask me to stop, I shall do so immediately. ...Shall I continue?...

When I entered the room I came across a sight I never would have expected to see. Tamiko stood by the window as always and she was in the embrace of a man I had never seen before. All I can recall is that he was tall and somewhat grungy in appearance, though I suppose it may appear attractive if you go for those rough, bush-basher types. His face had a slight speckling of stubble on it and the clothes he wore were dirty. His hair was the color of fine whisky with salt and pepper dis-coloring throughout it. Both his arms were encircling your mother and she was pressed against him tightly, unperturbed by the small handgun he clasped in the grip of his long square fingers. It became clear to me that she was not threatened by him and that his actions towards her were not menacing in the least. That gun was not intended for Tamiko. It was intended for the poor idiot fool who might stumble across them. Luck be it however that they didn't see me. Not at first. They were talking in muffled undertones, he saying to her that they should go now and she could at last rid herself of the cursed family forever.

'What about Akito?' Said she. 'And Ken'shin? Though I have no love for him as a husband he is a dear and sweet man and he has given his life to this family and me. How can I forget that?'

The other was firm. 'These families' responsibilities have been upended on you in the most unfair of circumstances. You have done your part. You gave them the child that they wanted so badly. Now it's your turn to be happy. Our turn. Don't we deserve that?'

Tamiko moved her head against his shoulder and buried her eyes in his shirt. Sheer dumb luck that I hadn't been seen yet!

'Yes.' She said, sounding selfish and justified all in the one word of affirmation. She gripped the stranger's shoulders tightly. 'I want to go away. I can't stand to remain here any longer... withering away. Knowing not love and life and all things beyond this cursed window and cursed house and cursed damn world I'm trapped within. Without you here I have existed only on death. And it chokes me.'

'Let us be rid of it then.' The man said and at that moment both raised their eyes to see one another and both saw instead, me. Mouth agape at the secret I had uncovered. Tamiko Sohma an infidel! Not only that, but her love affair had been with an outsider, one who was forbidden to ever know the secrets of the Sohma family!

I remember Tamiko just screaming at me, at her lover. 'Catch him!' She was shrieking. 'Stop him, catch him! Don't let him leave! Stop boy! He's seen! He's seen!'

I wondered what madness the curse had thrust upon her, for her words were the raving sores of lunacy and irrationality. Her man lover came for me and in that dreadful moment I could hear the over exaggerated beating of my heart in my chest as he raised the gun in my direction. In that terrible rhythm I sensed the life that would soon cease and there was not enough power in me to do anything but fall and crawl back on my hands, crying and begging all in one rapid sob of fear.

Be it a miracle unto me I'm not sure, but it was that moment that Ken'shin returned with you. I do not recall seeing his face the second he witnessed the situation, but I remember distinctly the grasp of his great hands cupping my arms beneath the pits and tugging me backwards out the door, away from harm. There was an almighty clap of sound, like a car backfiring in an empty street and a burning hot bone seemed to pierce my leg. And then I was screaming, in one long octave that pitched to the awnings of the roof. I could see my own blood, that crimson life force jetting from a gaping hole in my leg, directly below the knee. Later I was told that the bullet had penetrated straight through the skin and muscle but I was convinced that it was still inside me. I clasped my leg, fingers tearing at the pant material and causing more blood to pool around us as I howled. Fear and pain drove me to the brink of delirium, being so young but through that swirling cloud I saw you Akito. You. Standing behind me, tiny body tense and mouth pulled back across your teeth in either a lunatic grin or an expression of indefinable horror.

Ken'shin stepped over me and idiotically barreled into the room, screaming his lungs out at the mystery man, mostly about causing injury to me. That was your father though Akito. His concerns were primarily those around him, never mind his own. The two men engaged in an argument; Ken'shin physically bodying the other man to the floor and wrestling for control of the gun. I was still watching; too spellbound even to register the pain that throbbed as a consistent reminder in the background. Tamiko was watching, her hands clasped against the lower half of her face and eyes swiveling back and forth between Ken'shin and her lover. The outsider, being of stockier build and probably more suited to rough house behavior than your poor refined father, managed to gain the upper hand. They were on their knee's and the urchin hefted his elbow down on Ken'shin's shoulder and wrenched the handgun free. It was at this point Akito that you vaulted me and you stumbled into the room screaming, 'Papa, NO! Papa, NO!' over and over again. The outsider swiveled and belted you upside the ear with the butt of the gun, sending you into an onslaught of wails. Just as quickly as he'd dismissed you, the wretch returned the gun's nozzle your father and... shattered his face completely.

Akito... you were so close to your father that the blood... everything just _covered_ you... Tamiko was screaming, screaming and screaming and you were thrown over your father's body yelling over and over and over, 'Papa, NO! Papa, NO!' The outsider became concerned that others would hear and he was screaming at you to shut up. He started beating you across the room, leaving this great trail of blood behind you. And Tamiko... she screamed something... something I won't ever forget...

'No Ssigh! Stop! He's our son, STOP IT!!'

He hesitated and that gave you enough of a chance to escape. You leapt onto me, yelling at me to get up and help your Papa. I was sobbing and trying to push you away. You were covered in his gore... oh Akito it was awful! I am envious that the memory is lost to you, for I shall never forget those tiny tear filled eyes staring out at me from that mask of blood...

As it were, others had heard your cries and they came to our aid. What ever became of the outsider I don't know... but he fled before the truth about he and Tamiko could ever be revealed. She said that an intruder meaning to rob them had invaded the house and Ken'shin had been killed in the struggle to overpower him. That at least had a ring of truth to it. I was sworn to secrecy by Tamiko and you dear Akito, were both too young and too traumatized by the event to back my story up even if you had wanted to reveal it.

In the weeks following, you fell into the permanent care of Tamiko and my chores remained centered around the Main House, whilst you and your mother relocated to a smaller establishment near the outskirts of the compound. My concern for you was never wavering, but my leg needed time to heal as did you mind and that of the loss and insanity taking its grasp on Tamiko. Despite the physician's statements, claiming that her mentality was lapsing as a result of her long years holding back the curse, (She was 34 at her time of death; the longest life span of a Sohma master ever recorded) they had little influencing power to assert over her decisions and despite my protests, you were allowed to return to her guardianship.

As the weeks rolled into the completion of a month, I found pity in the very sight of her. Her grief was consuming her from within, eating away at her essence. She was a pitiful creature; never knowing love nor happiness of her own accord and forced to die for a family that hated her. Whenever I caught a glance of her, her eyes were red and puffy as though she had just been crying. And this was every time I saw her. She clung to you like a life preserver and sang mournful songs to pass the time. The one that you just sang Akito, was the one she wrote for the lover who never returned for her, after causing so much devastation and scarring her little boy for life. _Their _little boy, for truth eventually revealed that Ken'shin had been infertile and some deal had been made outside the family for another man to impregnate Tamiko. This resulted in that stinted love affair and by extension, you.

Two short months later, Tamiko committed suicide. I do not know the particular's of her last moment's of life but you were found clinging to her body beneath the window of the Main House. At some point, she had returned there with you and from what we must assume, she hurled herself from the window she had spent so many hours gazing out of, wishing to fly.

But it was not one of the Sohma's that found you holding Tamiko's body. On that day, the day your mother died and you became the sole inheritor of the Sohma family- on that day... the other came."

**__**

SCENE CHANGE

A tear rolled down Kureno's cheek and he bit his lip, forcing himself to finish the story. "And from that day, you were Sohma family Master and have been every day thereafter. Your mother left you but not memory, but the legacy of suffering that is your fate as a Sohma."

For a long time Akito was silent. Kureno noticed a thin line of blood trailing down his chin and realized that the younger man had pierced his lip from biting it so hard. He moved to wipe it away but Ritsu, who had remained to hear the story, beat him to it.

"You're bleeding." The other man noted, brushing the crimson fluid away with his thumb. Akito still said nothing and his expression remained neutral. Kureno found the silence more sickening than the reaction that he had been preparing for and expecting. That of yelling, screaming, anger- an extreme emotion of some sort. Anything but this benign silence, this shocked response that was absolutely nothing! The rooster slumped forward, bowing his head between his knee's and pressing his hands together, hair hanging down over his face.

"Do you feel better... now that you know?" He asked lamely. All he really wanted was a reaction of some sort. Anything to split the solid block of uncomfortable silence that had been nailed squarely over their heads like the constricting lid of a coffin. Akito did not give him this remuneration however. His glassy, uncomprehending eyes continued to gaze straight ahead. Mouth slightly agape. Blood oozed from his lips once more and Ritsu was starting to look queasy. He hated blood. The sight of it made him feel nauseous and weak, particularly if it was coming from someone else. This made him think how awful it must have been for Akito being covered in his father's blood at such a young age. And to lose his mother that very same year in such a tragic way! It would certainly explain why he acted the way he did... even if he didn't remember it happening.

At last he spoke. "So..." He paused, swallowed a very large lump in his throat and continued. "... I'm actually only half Sohma." It wasn't a question.

Kureno nodded uselessly.

"I..." Akito took a deep shuddering breath and made a strange hiccuping sound. "- don't... believe you..."

Kureno looked up at him sadly. "Perhaps it would be best if you don't. Better if we pretend this conversation never took place. I didn't want to tell you, but you insisted on digging deeper." He sighed and shook his head. "Hopefully it may just be enough to keep you from looking any further into it-"

"STOP IT!!" Akito roared clasping his face between both balled fists and burying his head into his lap. "I DON'T BELIEVE YOU! I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!!" It became some horrible mantra, sung to the sickening sway of his body. He rocked and gasped. "You lie! You lie to me! My Mother wasn't like that! She wasn't weak like you, like all of you!!" He looked up at them, eyes mad and rubbed red raw. There were pressure marks from where his fists had dug into his temples. "NOT LIKE ALL OF YOU!! She never would have....! She wasn't some brazen whore that spread her legs to an outsider!! My parent's were both Sohma's!! The curse killed my Mother! All of the elder's told me that the curse killed her. It did! She wouldn't—kill herself... she wouldn't..." His voice became a weakened sob as he slid to the floor, one hand trying to shadow his face and the other scratching against the piano stool. "... not while I was... I was there with... her... She's not weak. She's... not she- can't be..."

Akito dissolved into hysterical tears, burying his face against the stool and scratching it as hard as he could with his nails. Ritsu also had tears in his eyes and he seemed to want to comfort Akito but dared not impose himself where he wasn't wanted. Kureno, having more experience with the Sohma master, reached out to hold him but the younger man thrashed free, battering at the arms that meant to encircle him.

"Leave me alone! Leave me alone!" He roared, anger becoming the dominating emotion in that moment. "You're a horrid, nasty liar Kureno! To say such things about my mother, to make up such stories! You're unsuited to even speak about her!" His face creased into the cruelest sneer Kureno had ever seen directed at him. "You should be grateful she even allowed you to stand upon the same floor as she. Servant boy. Now leave me be!!" With that he stumbled to his feet and fled the room, bouncing off of the doorway as the rush of blood to his head caused him to stagger. Kureno knew that he was already crying again and he stinted on going after him, but knew that would only cause more problems. The sound of Akito's footsteps faded up the hallway before they were snared by distance and were no longer audible to the ears of the rooster and the monkey. Ritsu stared after the family master and bowed his head a little.

"Ah... are you going after him?" He prompted, wiping his thumb against his pant leg. Kureno shook his head.

"No. He need's time to think on this. And despite what he said, his reaction only proves that he believes the authenticity of my words. In which... I wish I had never told him. Poor darling." He said as an afterthought.

There was a momentary silence, in which neither could think of something worthy to break the silence. Ritsu was just considering whether it would appear rude if he were to take his leave, when Kureno spoke up again. His voice was firm and demanding.

"Tell me, Ritsu..." He said as he pushed the stool back in beneath the piano. "What are you doing here? Really?"

The nature of the question shocked Ritsu. He thought he had already told them his reason for coming only moments ago. Nonetheless he bowed at the rooster as he replied.

"I'm sorry if I didn't make that clear!" He apologized. "As I said before, I came to see Ayame on Saturday. That was the only reason. Not to say that I'm not happy to see everyone else too!" He added quickly.

Kureno smiled lightly and nodded. "It's okay, don't get yourself all worked up. I just thought that perhaps there was another reason for your visit today but- if not..." He trailed off and squeezed something distractedly beneath the wall of his shirt. "Anyway... it's getting late. I should get that tea and coffee made. Would you like a cup Ritsu?"

Ritsu smiled and shook his head. "No, don't trouble yourself! I had a long trip down from the resort so I might just go and rest for a while. If there is a room for me to stay that is?"

"The room in which your family usually stays is vacant." Kureno replied. He got to his feet and brushed himself off. "Make yourself at home. If you are in need of anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thankyou very much!" The monkey said shyly, accepting the hand up that Kureno offered him. Uttering a hearty thankyou, he grabbed a hold of his suitcase and made his way towards the room he usually stayed in whilst visiting. Kureno returned to the kitchen, his thoughts entangled.

****

SCENE CHANGE

His sleep was deep, like he was swimming within a spool of ink. At least, that's how Shigure would have described it. It was the kind of sleep you would have if you were really tired. Dreamless. Or at least there were no dreams that you could remember. It was utter and total obliteration but there was something beautiful in that.

But finally, he awoke. There was sun filtering through the window, streaming yellow light across the pillows and blankets. But it was a dying light; the evening's final surrender, before the sun found its' rest behind the mountains. Shigure stirred; murmured. He found himself, face buried in Ayame's hair and their bodies wound tightly around each other like the gauze over a mummy. The inu sighed and sleepily ran his hands through his lovers' hair, as he was accustomed to doing when he awoke. At the curve of Ayame's crown, there was an uneven bump beneath the hair and as Shigure brushed his fingers over it, a clump of dried blood came away. He gazed at his fingers in shock, staring at the crimson color as though it could not possibly be true.

"Aya..." He whispered.

"You're awake."

Shigure jumped, not realizing that there had been someone else in the room. "Hatori!" He exclaimed.

The doctor nodded stoically. "How do you feel?"

Shigure took a moment to access his current state. "Uh... kind of like I just ran a three day marathon without a break... But I'm okay, I guess." He pulled Ayame against him and cradled his head protectively. "What happened to Aya? Where are we?"

"Back at the Main House." He came toward Shigure and knelt down to examine his eyes. The inu's pupil's dilated accordingly to the light he shined on them and when he moved his finger in and out, he was able to follow it without difficulty. "Look's like you're focusing. You should be fine. But... maybe you could tell me what the Hell happened out there?"

Shigure blinked and raked his brain. "Out... where?"

Hatori fixed his face into what he hoped passed as a puzzled expression. Sometimes he felt he deserved an Oscar for how well he was able to manipulate his victim's into believing whatever lies he fed them. Even Shigure wouldn't doubt it.

"Ah... seems like you have concussion as well." He muttered, packing away his light and removing some swaps and other anti-bacterial liquids to clean Ayame with. "Some of the other Sohma's found the two of you out on the Old Road in Ayame's SUV. It looked like the car had been run off of the road. You two weren't drinking again were you?"  
Shigure tried to recall the events prior to his awakening but the memories eluded the searchlight of his conscious thoughts; weaving in and out of the passageways of his brain like a skilled thief in the night. Then it was like he came up against a stone wall with no way of getting around. He could feel that the memories were hovering just behind it, out of reach. It irritated him and he expressed the feeling in a low growl.

"Knowing Aya and I... I wouldn't be surprised." The inu grumbled rubbing his forehead distractedly. "Uh... it's weird... I can remember us leaving the picnic spot and driving down the road but then- it's all a bit of a blank." He suddenly gazed at Hatori in suspicion, eyebrows knitted close together. "You didn't by chance...?"

Hatori gave the most disgusted snort he could manage. Inside, his guts were knotted in guilt and his inside elbows were starting to itch. That always happened whenever he breached his ethics, or even when he came close to breaching them.

"Don't say such stupid things." He snapped, wiping a moist swap over the cuts on the corners of Ayame's lips. "Are you sure you don't remember anything? You weren't doing something foolish, like grabbing Ayame's knee whilst he was driving were you?"

Shigure flushed. "I could have been... I don't know, okay!? I don't remember!" He sank back against the headboard of the bed, face cradled in the palm of his hand. "Just out of curiosity, where in the Main House are we?"

"Uh... if I may?"

Shigure raised his head to see Kureno leaning in the doorway, a tea tray in his hands and a very gentle smile on his face. He only really noticed it then but in all the time he had known him, Shigure had never seen the rooster angry. With the exception of that morning, but that was more panicked then angry. _I wish I could have known him better growing up, _he thought as he smiled back. _He would have been a good friend. He's the utmost perfect gentleman._

Kureno's smile widened at Shigure's and his face brightened even more. "Not that you would guess from first appearances but you are actually in my room." He handed Hatori his coffee and then set the tray down in order to pour the tea. "I'm glad you're okay. What exactly was it that happened to you two, anyway?"

Hatori flashed him a warning glance as if dissuading him from making up an assumption that might contradict his own story. But the rooster had enough sense to leave the question at that; his concentration set on the task of pouring the tea. The swelling on his eye was making the activity more difficult than usual.

"As I just finished telling Hari, I really don't remember. I must have banged my head pretty bloody hard on the dashboard to wipe my head clean." Shigure smiled lightly and gave his temple a little tap with his knuckle. Hatori raised an eyebrow.

"It wouldn't have to be that hard of a bump to clean _your_ head, Shigure." He said with the slightest hint of a smile.

Kureno clucked his tongue disapprovingly and handed the novelist a cup of tea. The steam barely had time to form into the usual upward funnel before Shigure had the cup pressed to his lips. The hot liquid scalded his tongue but he was so thirsty he was able to ignore it as he took deep mouthfuls. Kureno blanched.

"Easy does it." He said looking as though he wanted to snatch the cup straight back. "It's not a shot of vodka you know. You can savour it. Keep dousing it back like that and Hatori shall have to bandage your tongue!" He laughed at the image and then stopped suddenly, looking bashful. _He seems overly aware of himself, _Shigure thought examining the rooster's reddened features.

Hatori chuckled. "Now there's something I wouldn't mind tying up for a while. That way we might have some peace and quiet around here."

"HARI!" Shigure cried like twelve-year old. "That's hurtful! How could you say something like that about me? Did you forget that I was considerate enough to move away, whilst Ayame remained to annoy you on a 24 hour basis? Why not tape up his tongue?"

Hatori considered thoughtfully. "Well... Ayame is hardly here anymore anyway. He's always with you. Which suits me fine, considering the amount it saves us in phone bills..."

Kureno chuckled into his hand. "You guys are funny. I wish I could have grown up with you all..."

"It certainly would have made my burden less heavy..." Hatori grumbled.

Shigure winked and laughed his crazy belly laugh. "We would have to have been called 'The Four Musketeers' then! Or found ourselves a new name altogether..."

"Ayame seemed pretty partial to 'Pretty handsome blossom boys' or some nonsense." The doctor said thoughtfully over the lip of his cup. Kureno went ashen.

"Pretty-handsome- _blossom_ boys?!" He said disbelieving. The look on his face was classic. "Maybe it's a good thing I didn't go to school with all of you..."

Hatori nodded. "You'd better believe it."

"Hey!" Shigure yelled, pulling the sleeping Ayame against his side and squeezing his shoulder. "I happen to think that 'Pretty handsome blossom boys' was a fantabulous name! And Hatori, don't forget we had some pretty good times as well! Would you trade that in for anything?"

"At the time I would have traded it in for a good pair of earplugs and a mallet." The dragon replied, never missing a beat. Kureno chuckled again.

Shigure decided to change the topic. He placed his cup on the bedside table and used his free hand to brush the snakes' hair back, exposing the large bump on his cranium. It wasn't bleeding anymore but it was hard, like a lump of bone arching beneath the skin. His beautiful face was covered in tiny cuts and scratches; a glaring circular bruise adorned the left side of his face. To be honest; he was a mess.

"Did Ayame go through the windscreen or something?" He asked picking up his cup and taking another sip from it. Kureno and Hatori exchanged a glance, which sent alarm bells ringing in his head. "What? Did something else happen to him?"

"If _you _can't tell us, then we certainly can't." Hatori said smoothly. "He _was _the one driving though. He was found in the driver's seat and the airbag hadn't gone off, so we must assume he wiped himself out on the steering wheel."

Shigure sighed. "Oh Gawd... I'm gonna be hearing about this for the next two weeks. And Saturday! He's going to go off when he see's his face."

"Look on the bright side. It could have been a lot worse." Kureno ventured closing his eyes.

Shigure thought of Kyoko, Tohru's mother and realized this was very true. "Yes," he said. "It could have been a lot worse."

It fell silent for a moment and Shigure could have been content to let it remain that way, if he had not seen something on the bedside table that made him do a double take. _Unless my eyes deceive me, is that...?_

"Kureno? Whose that picture of?" He asked.

"It's just a picture," Kureno said. He quickly reached over and placed it face down on the cabinet's surface.

"It looked like a picture of that Uotani girl that Tohru is friend's with." Shigure pointed out, a smile starting to form on his face. "But why oh why would you have a picture of Arisa on your bedside table when she is a high-school girl nine years younger than you? Could it be that Uo is your secret luv-luv?"

Kureno shrugged and gazed down at the floor, his face turning a rather fetching shade of violet. He was either sick or very embarrassed.

"Well..." Shigure said with a smug expression.

That was when Ayame started to stir.

__

"This is only a rehearsal. Take a deep breath, both of you. Try to relax."

Two cloaked individuals did as instructed, breathing in deeply and then relaxing with an exaggerated slump of their shoulders. The man before them, his head shaved to represent priesthood, nodded in satisfaction and gestured to the open area lit by dim torchlight. In the orange glow, a large circle was revealed, split in half by two overlapping half moons. It was roped off by a series of diamond shaped posts; each connected to the other by two X shaped lines of thorns.

The taller of the cloaked figure's whispered something. The shorter responded in a voice obstinately female and the pair locked hands.

And then...

Ayame blinked and gasped as he felt cold fingers lock around his neck. He looked up and saw the tall figure standing before him, his hands clenching his neck in an iron death grip. All too soon he realized what was happening. He was seeing through the eyes of the woman; the shorter figure in the cloaked robe. Was this a vision from the past? It felt all too real to be a dream or a flashback. The fingers were cutting off the air to his lungs and he was gasping, but the sounds coming from him were feminine and the hands he raised to clutch the man's wrists were not his own. The same pale color, but they were definitely not his. He wrenched at the strong arms, trying to pull them away but they held on as though his neck was a life preserver in a raging sea. Ayame could feel his life starting to ebb away, could see the light of the torches on the walls fading into the shadows and grainy patches of black invade his eyes.

And the sharp gleam of the knife clutched in the figure's hand...

It took nearly a full minute to calm him down.

"This is starting to get ridiculous..." Shigure snarled, rocking Ayame back and forth in his arms. He was angry, but not at his lover. "Hatori, what the hell is going on? Isn't there some sort of rational, psychological smart-ass reason for these nightmares? Think man!"

"Take this." Kureno interrupted, presenting Ayame with two Aspirin and a glass of water. He took them both with a mumbled 'thanks.'

Hatori scratched his chin. "Night terrors."

"What?!" Shigure snapped. He took a deep breath and tried to steady his voice. "What do you mean, 'night terrors?'"

The doctor waved a hand gently at him, his visible eye straying to the floor as he thought.

"I'll have to look up on it a little more extensively but it may just be what Ayame is experiencing. He's got the same symptom's; waking up violently, sweating, hyperventilating..."

"But aren't night terrors supposed to fade as you get older?" Kureno pondered as he poured Ayame a cup of tea. The three men stared at him in surprise. "What? I _was _home schooled you know."

Hatori shook his head. "In any event; in some extreme cases night terrors can return in later life depending on the subject. It's a bit of an enigma but if it will help put your minds at ease, then I shall look into it further."

Ayame shivered in Shigure's arms. "Don't trouble yourself, Hari... you have too much to do as it is."

Hatori was firm. "I can make time."

"Here, drink this." Kureno set the cup down in Ayame's hands and gently nursed them within his own until he was sure the snake had a firm grip on it. His fingers shook but he managed not to spill any as he raised it to his lips to drink. "You are both more than welcome to rest here for a while before you head home. I have no problem with you using my bed. If you promise to only rest on it." He added quickly.

"Is Akito all right with us being here like this?" Ayame wondered as Shigure chuckled. Kureno looked sideways, his thoughts momentarily distracted from the snake's question. He raked a hand through his disheveled hair and sighed tiredly.

"I believe Akito has other matters on his mind, as of late." He said stoically.

****

SCENE CHANGE

Akito _did _have other things on his mind and they had been causing him emotional distress for nearly an hour already. Ever since he had parted company with Kureno, he had had been sitting on the deck in his wing of the house, crying. And it wasn't the usual, obsequious kind of crying that he would normally berate himself for, the kind were he would allow his shoulders alone to shake and the minimum of sobs to escape his mouth, no. This was violent and unstoppable. It was the kind of crying that you were unable to prevent even if you had wanted to. The sobs and wails were tearing out of his body of their own accord, to such a lethal degree that he could have put a professional crier to shame. Why all he needed to do was rend his clothing and the effect would be complete!

It had been nearly sixty minutes since he had raised his face from his hands. His palms and cheeks were soaked, his forehead stung from where he was digging his nails in and his chest hurt from the stamina of his tears.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god-" He rambled between sobs, his legs hanging over the side of the verandah and his back curved at such an angle that his head could almost touch his knees. He rocked back and forth, talking to himself. Damning himself. Cursing himself. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, they all hate you- why don't you just fucking die already?!" With a vengeful snarl he started raking at his own face, trying to tear it off to kill the face that everyone recognized as being he. To extinguish who he was by destroying that awful damnable face. "Why don't you just DIE ALREADY?!" He roared and inexplicably began to cry again, rolling onto his side on the deck and weakly punching it with his fist. He could feel his face burning. "Why...? Why can't I just die...? I want to... I wanna die..."  
Akito dissolved into a fresh chorus of sobs, squeezing his eyes shut and curling up as if this might somehow shield him from everything. He was so confused. So hurt and so confused and so... lonely.

__

I'm nineteen years old... He thought. _And I'm miserable... I'm all alone and I'm miserable. I'm barely born and I'm ready to die..._

He gritted his teeth against the juggernaut of his grief and covered his face with his hand, his shoulders rocking in short, sharp jerks. Everything around him was being infected by a nightmare. The nightmare's he saw in his sleep were leaking out to claim the world around him and thrust him deep into despair. If anyone were to find him like this... it would be so humiliating, he didn't think he'd be able to stand it. But yet, try as he might he found he couldn't stop... and frankly that he didn't _want _to stop. It felt good to cry like this, for once.

Akito had this image of his mother in his head, the way he wanted to preserve her memory and existence. In his mind she was strong and kind... She didn't hurt her zodiac or beat her servants for a simple mistake. Such discredits were his weakness not hers. Tamiko would not have succumbed to the curse such as he had. She would have fought it to her very last breath. And that breath was drawn in her futon, with beloved family by her side. Not falling from the window in which they had both spent their days wasting away from within, gazing out and hoping to be free from it all.

It couldn't be that the two of them were both weak and precocious... could it? Akito wanted more than anything to be like his mother. That was what kept him going; day in and day out, even with his body caving from within and his soul despairing as the darkness claimed it. But... the mother he wanted to be like, was not the mother he thought she was. She was... more like he. Weak... selfish... lonely... a victim of her own desires... ultimately, human. He didn't want that from her. He wanted sword swinging heroics, not the head hanging surrender, the give-in go-along save-your-own-skin approach. Not from her. Not from Tamiko Sohma.

But that wasn't the only thing that made him cry.

He had done well to hide it so far, but seeing Shigure inside with Ayame, holding him that way- the way he cared for him... it infuriated him. What the hell was so great about that despicable, whorish snake?! Akito punched the deck hard with the side of his fist and growled in frustration. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair that Shigure was in love with him! It wasn't fair that they were in love in the first place!

Akito knew he was being irrational and he didn't care. He wasn't sure what he felt for Shigure, but the feelings had always been there for as long as he could remember. He couldn't recall a day when he hadn't felt that particular protective urge over the dark haired dog of the zodiac. But he had never thought to define it as a latent attraction... feelings of compassion and affection.

Yet... when he had seen the two of them together like that, holding one another, another feeling surged up that was so strong Akito knew that what he felt for Shigure had been more true then even he realized.

He was jealous.

And not jealous in the way that he had been over Hatori and Kana. The emotion then had been more obsolete, more definitive in the possessive sense in which he thought to control and bind to him the individual members of the zodiac. Kana could not have more influence over Hatori then he did, which was why he denied them the right to marry. But this wasn't a matter of control or influence. He knew that Ayame and Shigure had been friend's their whole lives and that influencing was going to happen on account of their friendship regardless. The feeling was more simple then that, but it hurt all the more so. Hurt in such a way that the horror of Hatori's eye being damaged did not even compare. This feeling came not of guilt, nor of anger. It was intent and despairing. Desperate and needing.

He wanted Shigure.

He wanted Shigure and Shigure was not his to take. He never had been.

And this made the shock of finding out the secrets of his mother hurt even more.

Akito held a hand to his chest. _My heart's breaking, _he thought. _I actually cared for him and now my heart is broken. _He squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered, burying his face in his kimono sleeve. As he cried, he became aware of the small white bird that had come to rest just beyond the wall of his arm. It gazed at him questioningly and gave a soft chirp. Akito sniffed and raised his chin, setting it on the bridge of his arm. He regarded the bird with oblique interest.

"What?" He asked finally. The bird just stared at him. "You want to know what's bothering me, is that it?" No response. Akito decided to play along, if only for the fact that it distracted him from crying. "Apart from the fact that I am talking to a bird, well... ...I've been alone for a very long time. Not so much alone as the definition of an absence of people but alone in heart and soul. It sound's petty, it sounds childish. To want the way I want. To have just one true honest to goodness friend, if anything. I mean... don't get me wrong, Kureno is a wonderful companion and it is my privilege to have him in my life the way I do but- I want more than that. I want someone who can truly understand me, the way in which I can't even understand myself. To understand why I am who I am. Someone to just smile at me, to talk with... to hold me in their arms and hide me from the world." He sat up a little, allowing the wind to toy with his hair. He was thinking aloud now, not even consciously addressing the bird anymore. Perhaps it was just an excuse to confide in himself. "I've never had a true friend. Never had anyone who was just willing to understand me. To tell you the truth... I can't even remember the last time that somebody told me that they loved me. Sometimes I wonder whether in fact anybody has even said those words to me. I suppose... I'm not an easy person to love. Perhaps I never have been, even before I became corrupt." He sighed and gritted his teeth. "All I want now is for the pain to go away. I want someone to make it go away. I want... I want someone to take care of me, even if it's just for a little while..."

He thought on this, the wind kicking up into a steady beat that caused his long bangs to sway to one side of his face. The little bird fluttered its wings unsteadily and eventually took to the air, moving inside in order to sip from its' water dish. As it began to duck its' beak into the water, a voice came from the very breeze itself.

'_Perhaps you did have someone and you just don't know it...'_

Akito consciously jerked up and gasped as he felt a hand clasp his chin from beneath. He had a feeling that he was being made to look into someone's face though that someone was not visible to his eyes. What might have been a thumb stroked the soft shape of his jaw line.

'_Akito...' _It said. _'You have not gone a lifetime without love. Once you were told that you were loved every single day. And you still are loved, even though you cannot hear the words.'_

Reality was starting to blur in and out, a dream world overlapping the borders of his vision and Akito could feel himself slipping. A blissful softness encased the corners of his consciousness and he was leaning backwards, supported by the hands wrapped around the center of his back. The sun, almost hidden completely behind the hills, flickered, as though it were a bulb about to go out. Everything seemed to be covered in a misty sort of haze; the way you might see the world when you first wake up in the morning. But in this grayness, the form that held Akito came to light. The outline and then the area between as though shaded into life with a painters' brush. The Sohma master blinked dazedly as he gazed up at the tall figure holding him; dressed in a brown earthy robe with the hood pulled over his head to obscure his eyes. Only the lower half of the face, a smooth strong chin and pouty lips were revealed to the eyes of the spider.

"Who are you?" Akito softly asked.

The breeze blew gently and the voice spoke from it as though the wind itself was the robed ones lips.

'_S.E.C.R.E.T_.'

"Secret..." Akito spelled out, tentatively reaching his hand up to rest upon the figures' shoulder. He could feel no warmth radiating from beneath the scratchy garment. "Why a secret...? Tell me... please."

The figure smiled down at him. '_And what would be the fun in that?' _It teased. _'You have to figure this out yourself. That's the only way you'll ever know. Besides haven't you had enough today to contend with? Come now... you've been crying.' _Akito suppressed a gasp as the long, slightly worn hand of the stranger came up to clean the tears from his face. The skin felt worn and rough against the softness of his cheeks and he liked it. Maybe a little too much. _'What you found out about your mother has upset you...'_

"You heard Kureno?"

__

'I'm not a blind Freddy, you know.' The stranger said with an ironic sounding chuckle. Akito cocked an eyebrow.

"Blind... Freddy?"

__

'A person who is not one to be deceived.' The robed one pushed forward so that his body was angled over Akito's, who in turn had to lay back on the deck in order to support his weight. _'Never mind. And try not to let what Shigure and Aya have bother you so much... at least not to the point of raving lunacy. You keep this up and you're going to ruin yourself.'_

"I don't care."

__

'I _care. And to see you lying here alone, crying your eyes out breaks my heart. Don't ever, ever EVER tell yourself that you are ready to die. That's bullshit. Everyone has a right to be weak but to act like this you are simply abusing the privilege. Were you given life to so sparsely give up and die?'_

"You know nothing..." Akito hissed, his hand roving across the broad shoulders that were angled in perfect symmetry to his own. He was now lying flat against the deck and the strangers body was suspended deliciously above him. "The Sohma master is born alone for the reason to die. That's the way it was decided and the way it always has been."

__

'No it hasn't.'

Akito's eyes fluttered open as the figure pressed his hand down against the arch of his hip, holding him steady. His lips came close enough to brush against his own, yet the breath that teased him so tantalizingly was not warm. It felt cool and crisp, like the wind itself from which the voice fell.

"What to you mean?" He asked.

The stranger watched him without waver, the breeze sending the lighter folds of his robes swirling about his lean figure. It appeared that he was contemplating silently to his own self and Akito was not privy to the debate that raged without his knowledge.

'_There are many secrets within the house of Sohma,' _it said at last. _'But... that is a mystery best left for another day.' _His form suddenly wavered, as though he was an image projected from a television screen and the reception was becoming distorted. He murmured and the flickering subsided. _'I... don't have much time left. I came here to help you find that which you have been seeking so relentlessly. The question that has engulfed your mind in each waking moment and the moments in which you sleep also.'_

"Which is?" Akito's voice was soft and awed. The stranger's lips came closer until they rested on the delicate shell of Akito's ear, each cool breath sending shivers down his spine.

__

'Lucky...' He whispered. Akito's eyes widened at the mention of the word. _'Listen carefully sweetheart... listen and understand the very nature of the darkness and the dull gray of each tiny pinpoint that is the worlds art. Never again will you be as fragile, as small as you are now yet you shall always be of the equal divine beauty in which you are completely unaware. You fear to never know the furtive exquisiteness of the passing of days in which as one you shall grown old and savour the mortal mystery of it. Perhaps that is not the gift you were given but the nobility of living is that we learn to accept whatever gifts or lack of are placed in our hands.' _His voice lowered another nuance. _'He will come to you Akito. ...But you have to want him to come. His feet cannot take hold of the ground without your wanting for him to find his way back to you. But... he has not left you alone with just these words to summon his resurrection, my boy. He left you with the goodbye that you were never allowed to hear. The goodbye you cannot understand for there was never one there who ever needed to tell you 'goodbye, I fall to the path of the moonlight.' You know where this goodbye remains. It is waiting for you. It has been waiting for you for seven years...'_

Akito could feel the confusion batter against his mind as he tried to absorb these words. But even the articulation of his thoughts were tangled in the possessive actions of the robed figure above him, the large hands separating the halves of his robes in order to touch the flat stomach concealed beneath. The broad fingertips slid across the sparse sweat that had formed to caress pink nipples, pert from the very presence of the stranger. Akito swelled with the lustful desire for sex, though distinguishable from any emotional attachments that one might secure with the title of 'love.' He needed for the physical extinguishing of the plume that burned constantly within him. When he arched his hips, he felt the other man's hardness brush against his own and the discovery of this new sensation made him moan in ecstasy.

"I... I'm not sure... what you mean..." He managed to say between gasps of much needed air. The figures' lips quirked into a smile and he pressed the tip of his finger to the center of Akito's shiny chest, stroking down through the gathering moisture.

__

'Creak, creak, creak...' He said covering Akito's eyes with his spare hand and leaning down to kiss his forehead. _'Now... make a good run of it. No more tears, hmm? Be strong...'_

"Wait..." Akito said but trailed off as a sense of weariness overtook his senses. He was plunged into a vat of darkness and after what may have been moments or minutes, he awoke on the deck. For a while he was still and then methodically he began to check himself over. He wasn't aroused, his body was dry and his clothes were still pulled modestly around him. But one thing remained to convince him that what had just happened was no jest of a dream.

There were no tears upon his face.

And now he knew what had to be done.

****

SCENE CHANGE

Kureno, Hatori, Ayame and Shigure had all been laughing about something when a loud thumping noise cut their conversation short. The four men glanced at each other in confusion then turned their attention to the hallway, where the sound seemed to be coming from.

"What the Hell is that?" Shigure asked as he set his cup down. Kureno bit his lip.

"I couldn't say..." He said climbing to his feet and peering out into the hallway. A servant girl hurried past and he reached out to stop her. "Lakaya, what's going on?"

The young lady stammered and bowed jerkily. "It's the master Akito, Mr. Kureno. I'm afraid that he has lost his mind!"

"She only just noticed?" Ayame whispered to Shigure. Both men chortled between themselves.

"Silence!" Kureno barked over his shoulder and turned his attention back to the servant. "What do you mean 'he's lost his mind?' What is he doing?"

Lakaya's voice continued to wobble and she fidgeted with her hands all the while she addressed Kureno.

"The master... came storming into the house with one of those large hammers over his shoulder! I... I forget what they're called..."

"Sledgehammer." Kureno said impatiently. "Continue."

"Right! Naturally I was alarmed and I stayed well out of his way but he didn't pay any mind at all to the servants. He went straight up the stairs to his room and started to bludgeon this floorboard to pieces! I didn't know what to think, so I just went on about my business..."

"Bludgeon his floorboards?" Ayame pondered out loud. Shigure scratched his chin thoughtfully.

"Perhaps it's some sort of advanced anger management therapy?" He suggested only half jokingly. Kureno ignored them both, lowering his face and closing his eyes as he procrastinated.

"Just what is it he thinks he's-!" He sighed in exasperation and threw his arms down. "I should never have told him... but guess it's my responsibility to go and stop him."

"Are you suicidal?!" Shigure asked rhetorically. He decided to answer this himself. "Why yes, you _are _suicidal. Because only someone who has real issues with his life is going to barrel in on an angry Akito with a jackhammer."

"_Sledgehammer, _not jackhammer,you jackass." Kureno snapped already on his way out the door. "Besides it's not like he can make an even bigger mess of my face then he already has."

"Wanna bet on it?" Shigure mumbled as they followed the rooster out into the hallway. Lakaya pointedly went in the opposite direction and Shigure couldn't help but think that she was the smart one. Generally, if you were a civilian you didn't walk between the firing lines of the Germans and the English. And going to talk to Akito with a dangerous weapon and sadistic tendencies was even higher on the list of '101 best worst ways to die!' Ayame reached down and twined his fingers through Shigure's, looking him in the eyes encouragingly.

"Quite a day, huh?" He said in a bright cheery way that just seemed to contradict everything that was happening. "I'll be glad when it's all over and we can just curl up together and go to sleep."

"Ayame... you say that _every _day!" Shigure said affectionately. The snake shrugged.

"Well... when it's you I get to cuddle up with, can you really blame me?"

"Shut up you two." Hatori grunted as he strode on ahead of them. "How can you even behave that way after being in a car crash?"

"Well how would you have us behave, Hari?" Ayame asked tartly, wrapping his arm around Shigure's waist and leaning into him. Shigure pulled him in tight and leered at the dragon.

"Yeah, how would you have us behave, Hari?" He parroted.

The doctor shook his head. "Idiots..."

They finally came to Akito's room. The door was wide open and a bunch of servants and a few Family Elder's were standing around observing, yet clearly too sensible to enter. Kureno however did not share this tactic and immediately stepped through the door without accessing the situation first. Hatori, Shigure and Ayame all stayed at a respectable distance.

"Akito... what are you doing?" The rooster asked, using his best 'talking-to-dangerous-mentally-unhinged-people' voice. Akito raised the sledgehammer and swung it down with as much force as he could muster from his tiny frame. He grunted as it bounced off of the hard floorboard, leaving a satisfying indent in the surface.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He said uninterestedly, dragging the head of the hammer behind him and arching his back to bring it over his shoulders again. With a violent cry he struck the floorboard, earning for his efforts a slight splintering of wood. "I'm breaking this floorboard, is that so difficult to see?"

Kureno blinked at his master, expecting him to elaborate exactly why this floorboard deserved his wrath but he said no more. Just continued to strike the dark plank of wood repeatedly with waning strength.

"Forgive me for asking sir but... why?"

Akito huffed and rested momentarily on the hammers' staff, wobbling a little in his effort to remain standing. It was then that Kureno noticed that he didn't have his cane with him. He had left it in the music room before he ran out.

__

'He must be exhausted,' the rooster thought, drawing closer to the boy and noting the sweat beading on his forehead. The strength of the breaths tearing from his chest.

"There's something under here..." Akito panted, indicating the floorboard with a tap of his foot. He wobbled dangerously before managing to steady himself on the hammer. "I must find out what it is. I must!" He raised the hammer prepared to bring it down once more but the weight bore him backwards. He fell hard on his butt, exclaiming loudly and releasing the sledgehammer allowing it to clunk squarely to the floor behind him.

"Akito!" Kureno cried sharply rushing to his side. The master was wincing painfully and rubbing his shoulder. "You have to be careful. You're not as strong as you once were and even _I_ would have difficulty raising that hammer."

"You would have no difficulty." Akito said as he rubbed his shoulder contemptuously. "No one has any idea what it's like to be this weak, to not be able to do anything for myself... well..." He struggled to his feet and placed his hands squarely on the hammers handle. "I _want _to do this. I'm going to do this for myself. I'm not going to be weak anymore!"

He moved to swing the hammer but Kureno grasped the tool at the very base, near the master's hands and pressed down with all the strength he possessed. Akito managed to hold his stance for a moment, but ever so slowly his knees began to bend toward the floor. He grit his teeth trying to withstand it but eventually the pressure became too much and he collapsed painfully to his knees. Kureno snatched the sledgehammer away and hefted it up onto his shoulders.

"How DARE you?!" Akito hissed between pants. Kureno was apathetic.

"Akito, you keep this up you're going to give yourself another fever." He pointed out. The master was adamant.

"I don't care!" He shouted. "I only want to know and this may be the way to figure it out! I know you can't understand and I don't expect you to- but you let me do this! You let me or I shan't ever forgive you!"

For a long time the pair continued to stare each other in the eyes, exerting their individual will in some silent exchange that none other were privy to. Akito's desire to complete this task was greater than any other desire that had ever been present within him. Somehow, he didn't know how but- he just knew that if he could discover the truth hidden beneath the floorboard, he could finally begin to make sense of things. Even dying as he was, he didn't want to go to his grave never knowing the answer to the questions that plagued him. Akito huffed angrily as his eyes roved over the group assembled outside the door. None of them understood what it was like for him. They just continued to stare at him in that same pitiful, insulting way they always did. And Shigure... he too was just staring. Both his arms around Ayame but his eyes locked on Akito, wondering, silently asking...

'I wish you wouldn't look at me the same way they do...' Akito thought to himself, his expression softening slightly. 'Look at me like you understand. Look me in the eyes and tell me without saying a word that you know. Can you do that Shigure?'

He continued to stare.

Kureno took note of Akito's mellowing expression and knew that he was giving in to the sadness again. He thought of what he had told him only an hour ago, the truth about his mother. The unflattering truth that could have easily crippled anyone. The hammer grew heavier in his hands.

"Akito..." He whispered. "I'm sorry... but..."

He stinted on that for a long time, his dark brown eyes locked on the darker, oppressive ones of the boy he had grown up with. The boy he had grown to love. Kureno couldn't even begin to understand Akito's reasoning for unearthing this floorboard but decided that perhaps it wasn't necessarily in need of rationalizing. If it would make him happy...

Akito jumped as Kureno violently brought the sledgehammer down with all his might. The rooster cried out as the muscles in his arms strained with the force he exerted, the contact against the wood jarring up his wrists. Yet, the training he put himself through, the power that he kept concealed was just enough. The floorboard shattered right down the middle, splinters spitting from the crack and spilling outward like stiff strands of straw. Kureno hit it once more and the floorboard smashed clean open, the sides popping free from the rest of the boards whilst the center caved in. Abandoning the sledgehammer, he knelt down and tugged one half of the board free, depositing it on the floor beside him. Akito helped him with the second piece feeling excitement flood his veins. It didn't even appeal to him that there might not be anything beneath the floorboard at all. He just _knew. _There was something there. There had to be!

Brushing aside woodchips and various insulation materials Akito's fingers came across something smooth and flat. He squinted his eyes to make it out from the darkness and realized that it was a box. It had been placed on the boards that formed the ceiling of the lower rooms and wedged between two support beams. He locked eyes with Kureno, wondering if he too could see it. According to his facial expression, it would seem he had.

"Oh dear..." He said softly. Akito didn't hear him. He was too entranced by the discovery he had made.

"Pull it out." He ordered; his eyes dancing in a way they never had before. "Quickly, pull it out Kureno!"

The rooster seemed more than hesitant in the application of this order but he did as he was told, extracting the box from it's hiding place and setting it on the floor. Akito pounced on it, his face an eager mask of anticipation as his hands roved all over it.

"Look at this..." He whispered, more so to himself than Kureno. "There really was something here after all..."

"Be careful, sir..." Kureno cautioned as he moved to his side. Akito scoffed at his concern.

"Please, it's just a box." He grumbled, tipping it up on one side. For that matter, it was a fairly unattractive box- about the width and length of a thick paperback novel and a dank brown mildew-y color. There was a noticeable absence of decorations on it, save for a small circular pendant situated where the lock would normally be. Akito pointed this out to Kureno.

"What do you think this could be?" He asked, cocking his head to one side as though this would somehow make it reveal its' secrets. The rooster didn't have an immediate answer for this.

"It's so dusty I couldn't say." He wiped at it with his sleeve, succeeding in clearing away the worst of the grime. Underneath a layer of glass entombed a tiny clock face. Kureno examined it closely and ran a hand through his hair. "That's odd."

"What is?"

"Well... the spaces were the numbers would ordinarily be is blank." He indicated the tiny clock. "What's more... it seems that the second's hand is... still ticking."

Akito stared at him ostentatiously for a moment and then bent forward to get a better look. He was surprised to see that the second's hand was indeed ticking. It was moving steadfast toward the upper rise of the clock- where the 12 would ordinarily be.

"How interesting." He said as he rested back on his knees. "It doesn't even make a sound. Still, what I'm more interested in is how we open it."

As if his words had been some kind of trigger, it was at that moment that the second hand struck the high rise of the clock face. It clicked into place and a tiny sound, like a key turning in a lock, came from the box. With an anti-climatic creak, the lid swung open revealing the secret within.

Inside, set between the walls of red leather lining was a black videocassette, a small white feather taped to its surface.

Kureno went ashen and sat back with a thud. "Oh no..."

"Hey Gure... why do you think Kureno looks so pale?" Ayame asked his dark haired lover. Shigure smiled pleasantly.

"Probably seen 'The Ring' one too many times."

****

Note: I really shouldn't be making promises that I can't keep huh? Oh well from now on I'm just going to have to stop doing spoilers since my chapter plans end up being cut in half. But I can say that I'm up to date, except for the Ayame/Shigure lemon thing I promised... Oh well, that will be next chapter I swear! The secret of the floorboard was revealed but now you'll have to wait to next chapter to see what's on the tape! Don't worry I'll make it worth your wait! Please R and R and I'll see to it that the next chapter heads you way soon. I'll only update though if I feel like I have a certain number of reviews under my belt! I'm shameless like that, but it's how I work!

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	8. Echoic Linger

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Born to be Broken

Disclaimer: This whole, 'I don't own it' deal is getting a bit old, wouldn't you say? I'm running out of original, humorous ways in which to voice my non-association with the creators of this fabulous show/manga. Therefore, I've decided to substitute with some profound understated disclaimer that will be so boring and obscure that people will alternatively find it funny. Will it work? Beats the Hell out of me, but I like danger so here goes. I don't own Fruits Basket. It does not belong to me and in no way shape or form does my fanfiction and self righteous opinions reflect on the creators at all. It should be so obvious as the product of Fruits Basket includes just a dash of something that is remiss in my own work: Integrity. But I hope you shall enjoy this step away from reality as much as I enjoy writing about it. How's that? Good? ...Ah who am I kidding...

Note: Here it is folks. The chapter where stuff starts to actually happen! Try not to have a heart attack or anything. I know that shock is great, but please try to stay alive. I need the reviews. I have just returned from a swanky holiday on the Gold Coast of Australia and after a refreshing (and not at all stressful, due to the company of my energetic younger cousins and nephew) break I am back to writing. Trying to update as quickly as possible, but keep in mind that what I lack in schedule, I make up for in the length of my chapters. Hence the reason it takes so long to produce them. On that note, due to the length of this chapter, I've had no choice but to cut it in half and unfortunately the Ayame/Shigure sex scene I was promising, is in the second half. I know I promised it would be here and I apologize but technically it _was _here but this chapter was already long enough. You'll just have to wait a little longer to read it. I'll try and make it worth the wait, I swear!

Now with all that serious stuff out of the way, time to thank my reviewers:

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LuceScuro: Well... I did always feel that Akito was related to Samara in some far off distant way. (AKA: Her brother) Oh yeah, and I know it's supposed to be _Sadako, _all you Japanese nuts. I did think that myself when I had him smashing up the floorboards' 'Oh God... people are going to make the inevitable_ Ring _comparisons.' (_Ringu_ to all you Japanese nuts) I'm glad that you like the way I portray Kureno! Really though, I don't think he has quite the amount of spine that I've given him, in the manga. What I'm really trying to do (off I fanwank again) is represent him essentially as strength of character. I've decided to portray him a little differently then I have seen him so far in other fanfics. Not to say that their interpretations are not excellent, or for that matter wrong, I was just trying for something unique. Hmm, yes Kureno is definitely hot. And he does look a lot like Kyou. Only his face and disposition is much more gentle then our lovable little Kyonkichikun. Well thankyou for the review and I hope you enjoy the next chapter with very OOC Kureno! (Hugs)

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Raiknii: Yay a new reviewer! (Hugs) Sound's like you're enjoying the fic so far. That's something I always like to hear. And by the way, there is no chapter 98. In fact, there is no Fruits Basket manga. And even if there was, it would have absolutely no bearing on the anime version of Akito at all, who _is _a boy. In the 4th disk, his robes are down so low that you would be able to see evident cleavage, not to mention his voice and whatnot. This fanfic takes off following the completion of the anime and doesn't relate to the manga, except for Kureno. I think the illustrators decided that at the last moment, because the representation of Akito that we see in the anime can't possibly be a girl. I've seen the shots that show him as a girl and my immediate reaction was; "Have another bong, manga script writers." _My _plot lines are better than that one and that is saying something. They could have Akito declaring 'I am Kundra!' and shooting lightening bolts from the rooftops and I still wouldn't buy into it. As far as I'm concerned, they can do whatever they want with Akito in the manga, but in the English anime version of Fruits Basket - (which mind you, had an ending that never occurred in the manga so that should be saying something about the differences) – he is a boy and I will be using _him _for yaoi. So there you have it. I'm right. They're are wrong. All is right with the world. And for that matter, Akito's mom's name isn't Ren. It's Tamiko. God, get it right manga script writers.

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HelloKat: ;; I'm sorry! I don't mean to leave you hanging in suspense that's just how it works out! (Cries and begs forgiveness) Well... as long as someone appreciates the subtle art of cliffhangers then I suppose it will be all right. I'm trying to quit that nasty habit however, since it's starting to affect my lovely reviewers! (And they might start to affect me with nasty flames that will make me cry! ,--,) I'm so glad to finally get to that bloody tape! I've been dying to reveal it for so long! There's just another Ring reference waiting to dance onstage, I know it. (Hugs) Thanks for the review and I hope you will enjoy the next chapter, cliffhanger or no! (Runs from multiple baseball bats)

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duos-deathscythe: Well, here is the next chappie as promised! Though I wish I could dish them out just a tad faster, then everyone would be happy. On that note, I may as well mention that I read your fic the other day! (I'm sorry, I don't remember the name! Shoot me... I was too busy reading it to look at the title... ;;) The Ayame/Shigure one where Akito is... uh... less then nice, I guess I can say. It was really very, very good! Exquisite! (Blows a kiss) Granted I am an Akito fan, but I'm not about pristining him too much and your plot was so good I was able to almost dislike him for what he did! Almost. But then again, I'm a very loyal Akitty fan. I haven't had a chance to leave a review yet, but I will get round to it as soon as I have the time. One thing that confused me though: In your notes you mentioned something about writing the fic because of an incomplete one that you did not mention the name of, nor the site on which it appeared. But you clearly were not happy with the direction the fic took. I won't jump to conclusions, since that just makes me look asinine, but I couldn't help but feel that my fic was the one that you mentioned. I apologize for making such an assumption if I am wrong, since you did review this fanfic and seem to be enjoying it, but I am paranoid by nature and thus it would be nice just to clarify this. That aside, your fic was wonderful and I am hoping that you will continue with it ASAP. And that hopefully, you are enjoying this fic as much as I enjoy yours.

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Demeter1: (Beams) I love you too! (Hugs Demeter) And uh... if you are really that compelled to eat my fanfic, then just make sure that you regurgitate it later so that I can continue writing it. Regurgitate preferably.

Did you really like that scene with Akito breaking the floorboards? I didn't like that at all! I thought it was poorly written and completely OOC but ... hey! If my reviewers like it then who am I to argue? The contents of the tape will be revealed at the beginning of this chapter, and I have spent a very, very, _very, _long time bloody polishing it to make sure that it is as good as I can get it. I must admit I'm quite proud of it, but essentially it is the opinions of my readers that is most important. Therefore, I am hoping that you too will like it.

As for the OC, well a 'beautiful entity' is kind of ironic... but who said that the robed guy was Akito's love interest? 

I _adore _Ritsu too! So many of my friends find him annoying and that really steamed my beans, so he has a big part in this little ficcy! (Hugs Ritsu) I love him so much! Strangely enough, I'm leaning towards having him and Akito become close. (Not close in _that _way, in a friend's sort of way.) Well... we'll see what happens. I am happy to present you with as much Akito as I can my dear, and the fact that you review every chapter and write such long interesting reviews has secured you as one of my favorite reviewers. (Hugs Demeter1) Love ya lots!

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Purple Witchy Angel: I can't believe you thought that chapter was awesome! I really didn't like it! Just goes to show, eh? Just like Demeter1 I can always rely on you to review each and every chapter, so just for that you get the NaPap Special Favorites Hug! (Hugs Witchy Angel.) There, now wasn't that nice? Hey! Why are you running away?

(Hangs head in shame) Sorry about the evil cliffhanger. I am suitably ashamed and seeking counseling for my addiction to them. Yay! I'm making you like Akito! (Does happy victory dance) I want people to see that he really is a victim too, just like all of them he is at the mercy of the curse. Not to say that he's a good person. He may of been, but he has been corrupt and he is aware of that fact. He is very psychologically damaged and has mental problems, that much is obvious. But hey, lots of teenagers do. Glad that I've opened your eyes to Kureno! He really is a neat character no matter how you look at him. Sorry, my representation is a little different to his actual personality but I've used aspects of his real persona to influence me, so it's not all fantasy. Keep your shorts on (for now) the lemon will be coming your way soon. Next chapter honey, I swear!

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Moondoom: Another fan of The Game we Play who also likes this fic? (Has a cardiac arrest and dies) That's awesome! I'm so happy that you are enjoying my fics and by extension the Ayame/Shigure pairing! Did you really read all of The Game we Play in one sitting and _then _move on to this one? Man... how could you handle all that angst and fluff in one hit? I'm flattered that you are enjoying my work this much, it really is wonderful to know that people are really investing such time and devotion to my writing. I'm really happy. Thankyou! When you put so much of your time and effort into something and people notice, it inspires you to try just a little bit harder, you know? (Laughs) I love Hatori too! I torment him mercilessly, but I really do adore that grumpy old dragon! (Just not when he's paired up with Ayame and Shigure)

I hope you are not getting into trouble for reading on into the early hours of the morning! I don't want angry parent's writing long abusive emails to me. I'd only get jealous of their superior spelling and grammar skills anyway. ;; Still, the point is, is that you are enjoying my fic and for that I couldn't be happier!

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Shu: Are you serious? I've read heaps of fics out there better than mine! Not to say that I am not flattered and overwhelmed by your comments. Thankyou very much! (Hugs) How do people come up with their plot's, you wonder? Well it's an interesting story... One day I was lounging around, eating some chocolate and looking at my picture of Akitty when I thought; 'Hey! I should write a totally original fic all about how the curse of the Sohma family originated!' And I wish I could say that this was just tongue in cheek. That's really what happened my dear and I wish it could have been a tad more riveting then that, but there you have it. That's the story! Ah, another fan of The Game we Play who also likes this fic! This is too much! (Throws another party) You really like my work, huh? Oh I'm so happy! (Starts to cry) Uh, I don't have a website or anything yet but I have two other fics up at if you're interesting in reading more of my fanfiction. It's not much; just a humorous recap of the script of Shadow of Destiny and the 5th chapter of The Game we Play. Otherwise you'll just have to keep looking back here for my regular (and not at all lackadaisical) updates.

I was hoping someone would ask why I called Akito the spider! It's my own personal metaphor of him that I got from the anime and manga. Everyone had symbol's I noticed and whilst I was watching the 'Ka-ching wipe gallery' and listening to the commentary, I noticed that Uo and Hana each had a visual symbol that seemed key to their persona. Akito didn't have a symbol at all and this was supposed to reinforce his mystery. However it got me to thinking of what might be a suitable symbol representation for him and I settled on a spider, after viewing the confrontation scene in episode 26. Shigure better explains this for me in ... um... the chapter which the exorcism takes place. I can't remember what number it is!

In this instance being the spider takes on new meaning for Akito. A spider doesn't move into the center of it's web unless something disturbs it, and when something does, the spider attacks it. Shigure said Akito was the 'core' of the zodiac curse, such as the spider is the source of the web it spins, pulling all things into it's possession, once they are ensnared within the web. The web is the wanky symbolism of the tangled relationships of the Sohma family and the mysteries they are trying to unravel from it. See? Some deep philosophical thought _did_ go into this!

(Gather's up muses Shu sent for her) Thankyou for your most generous offering of muses! Mine are lazy coach potato's who don't do any work at all so I'm grateful to have these. Hope you enjoy the next chapter! Love ya lots! (Hugs)

And now with the world's longest reviewer column out of the way, time for the fic itself! Hold onto your pants people and don't piss in them.

__

"I don't believe that life is supposed to make you feel good, or make you feel miserable either. Life is just supposed to make you feel."  
- Gloria Naylor

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - EL - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kureno slapped his hand against the slot of the VCR to prevent Akito from inserting the tape. The family master sighed impatiently.

"Move Kureno."

"Sir, try not to be hasty." The rooster quipped, positioning his entire body before the television set, as though to protect it from harm. "Think. This may not be such a good idea."

"Oh? ... Really?" Akito raised an eyebrow in mock alarm. "Well guess what? I don't care. Now... do as I say... and shift. Your. Ass."

The slow cold way in which he spoke was very familiar to Kureno, even if the words themselves were somewhat out of character. The boy stood straight and tall before him, free from the assistance of his cane, his eyes glowering with excitement, such as he'd never witnessed before. The discovery of the tape appeared to have given Akito new strength. A whiplash of energy that surmounted the curiosity swelling within him and gave his weak body the ability to follow out his mind's desire. His desire was to view that tape. And one very unnerved and determined subordinate stood between him and the object necessary in order to do so.

Kureno inhaled with a rattling shudder and hissed the breath out through the upper and lower rows of his teeth. His fingers grasped the front of the VCR tightly.

"Sir, please-" He began in earnest. "You are tired and you are not thinking straight. Perhaps with some rest, by tomorrow you should be able to correctly consider the situation and make an educated-"

"So, you say I lack the ability to think rationally?" Akito asked softly, his voice an early shade of malignant intent. His eyes were calm and soft, but continued to shine with anticipation. "I _am _tired Kureno. Every day of my life I am weary. Were I to make my decision tomorrow, it would be the same as the decision I have made now. I want to see this tape. I don't know how, but I feel as though it may answer the questions that plague me. Would you wrought that right from me, my dear Kureno?" To the rooster's amazement, his master extended his hand to him; the one holding the tape. "Would you tryst this tape from the very hand that I extend to you... and smash it over your knee?" His voice grew even softer, a husky overture of Autumn wind on a dried leaf. "Would you do that Kureno? Would you deny me of something that I want so badly... when I am to die, so very soon?"

The play of guilt hit the raw nerve in Kureno that Akito had been calculating on. His unbruised eye softened with moisture and the rigidity of his stance wavered momentarily. But then, something within him, perhaps the trained part of his persona that had learnt to cripple emotion, won over. His face tightened against the wave of sympathy that battered against his feelings.

"Akito..." He began. "I don't seek to deny you of anything. Know that. My whole life I have been at your side, and I know how it is that you have suffered." Akito's eyes remained untouched. "As such, I would do anything to ease this burden. Hell, I would take it upon my own shoulder's if I could so that you could live the life you should have."

"But...?" Akito conceded, tilting his chin upwards.

"But, I believe that were you to watch this tape and surrender to your curiosity, there would be nothing to hold you back from digging deeper and deeper." The rooster lowered his eyes. "Just as the truth of your mother wounded you, who's to say that whatever is on that tape will not also hurt you? I failed you once in that, I do not wish to do so again."

Akito shook the hand bearing the tape. "So... if you feel that way. Take it." He gestured forward roughly. "Take this tape and dispose of it as you please. Destroy it. Destroy it, so that my poor, meek, innocent eyes cannot gaze upon the monstrosity's captured on this evil tape."

The silence stretched onward after he spoke that final word. It stretched such as a string of chewing gum, thinning in the middle with the shifting feet of the rest of the family, standing just out of sight beyond the closed door. Kureno wrestled with the compulsion to take Akito's bait, to snatch the tape out of his hand and smash it against the ground, eradicating whatever was on it forever. He couldn't rationalize why, but a part of him knew that the tape was something best left forgotten. Just as the one who made it...

But the desire snapped as securely as the silence and he bowed his head, knowing full well he could not follow through with the action he thought best. Perhaps part of it was guilt on Akito's behalf, or partly the fear of Akito's reaction should he do so. Or maybe it was because some miniscule part of himself too was yearning to know just what was on this mysterious tape. As such, he found himself bowing his head in defeat, berating himself internally.

"I... cannot...." He affirmed quietly.

Akito drew back the tape, smiling in a congratulatory fashion. "Then by all means; cram up and move out of my way." He waved his free hand in a dismissive fashion, as if to say 'shoo.' Knotting his own suddenly sweaty hands together, Kureno loped to the side, shame prompting him to keep his head lowered. Akito stooped before the television, steadying himself on the cabinet that housed both it and the VCR. They were in the central sitting area of the Main House, where most of the Sohma's residing there congregated to talk, watch the television or read. Whilst it was not exactly guaranteed to be private, Akito was primarily concerned with viewing the tape as quickly as possible and most of the servants knew better than to enter the sitting room when he was the one occupying it.

As he slid the tape halfway into the VCR slot, Akito remembered something and turned to his servant who was gazing at the back of his neck with a curious expression.

"Kureno; send the others away." He ordered, gesturing to the door with just the slightest tilt of his head. "I'd prefer to just see this alone right now before drawing them into any- what is it you are looking at?"

Kureno moved forward respectfully and tapped down the sloping collar of Akito's kimono, revealing the vivid scratching on his upper back and the purple vivid bruising of the hickey. His expression was indefinable.

"How did you get these marks...?" He asked slowly, something akin to fear on his face. Akito slapped his hand away and adjusted his robes with obvious annoyance.

"I fell in the shower." He snapped, brushing his hair behind his ear self-consciously. He could still feel Kureno's eyes on him. "The scratches... I did to myself." At least this sounded plausible. After all, who wouldn't believe that the mentally disturbed family master of a cursed household was performing self-mutilation?

Kureno's expression suggested that he did. "Is that the truth?"

Akito felt himself getting angry. He shifted around on the carpet and bared his teeth at the older man.

"I just fucking told you so, didn't I?! Now- do as I tell you and send the others away!" His chest heaved with the pressure of his outburst and he turned back to face the television, pressing a fist over his heart and taking deep steady breaths. He could feel another panic attack coming on.

Kureno realized that he had pushed too far and backed off. "Forgive me. I- I shall send the others away. Wait for me." He added before striding over to the door.

Akito curled his lip in indignation and winced at the striking pain that came from the region of his heart. Feeling suddenly dizzy, he gently lowered himself down to the floor and slightly curled his body, waiting for the sickness to pass. It was obvious, to him at least, that his anger only helped to aggravate the problem, yet that was something he had very little control over. For as long as he could remember, Akito had been an angry person. When something upset him, or made him feel bad, anger became the dominant emotion rather than that of grief or fear. At times the anger was sickening. It would nauseate him to the point that he could not eat. Or he would crack his teeth and even cause his nose to bleed. There just seemed to be no fairness in his life and each and every time he had allowed just a shred of happiness into it, something came along that crushed that patch of light like the empty shell that it was. To Akito, it felt like somebody had slit his heart open and the pain was the darkness pouring in, vanquishing what little light was left.

It made him wonder... _'Maybe I' m this way, because what Kureno said is true. Could I be so fucked up because I came to terms with death at an age when no child should even be contemplating the idea? Is my mind twisted by witnessing the deaths of my parents? The deaths... that I don't even remember?'_

Akito knew that it was possible to block out violent memories, if the mind was traumatized enough by the event itself. But he never would have believed that he could forget something so... abominable. His father... the one whom he had believed to be his father, having his head blown off. Kureno said he was covered in the gore. _'The gore...' _Akito thought. _'Blood... his brain... the soft, supple material of nightmares that causes the character's in horror movies to scream and scream and scream. Yet there I was... a five year old boy. Little more than a baby really. And I was covered in it.'_

He heard a sound coming from himself and realized that he was laughing. He slapped a hand over his mouth to smother the hysterical giggling and found even his face was creased into a mock mask of humor. Akito could not believe how his body was responding to the horrifying thought's he had just been entertaining. He giggled at the irony of it and slapped a hand to his forehead.

"I really am crazy." He said aloud and laughed at the verification. Somewhere in between the thin lines of his laughter, his muffled guffaws were serrated by the more powerful urge to cry and he could feel his face break open, turning his chuckles into the lightest of sobs. He growled beneath it all, realizing that he was hysterical.

"Shut up." He hissed and slapped his face firmly, relief washing over him at the burning sting his hand left behind. He hit himself once more, the practice being quite familiar to him. Though Akito did not actually divulge in the act of self mutilation, such was the extent of his torment sometimes that he would surrender to the urge to rip callously at his face or even hit himself. The urge usually came from moments when he felt a profound hatred for himself or he believed his actions to be embarrassing. Akito knew that this was not normal behavior. But... when could any of the Sohma's be accused of being normal?

Having ceased his irrational giggling, Akito sat up abruptly, wincing as the sudden blood rush to his head caused it to ache. Clenching his eyes shut for a moment, he lowered his head waiting for the feeling to pass. When he looked up, he saw something that made him gasp in shock.

The television black screen affirmed that it was turned off which couldn't account for the abnormality that Akito was witnessing. He could see his own reflection sitting directly on the bottom half of the screen, eyes widened slightly and mouth agape. The reason so was that what would have been about five feet behind him, standing in the center of the sitting room, he could see three figures gazing at the back of his head. Akito dared not turn. Too many times had he seen horror films whereupon the character turned and saw nothing behind them. Then upon inspection of the source where they had first seen the reflection, it was gone completely as though never having been at all.

Instead he tried to pick as much detail from the reflection as possible. The two tallest figures were adults; one female and the other male. The female was distinguishable by her long hair. The third figure was barely half the size of the other two. It was a child, but whether or not it was male or female was difficult to discern. It's hair, from what he could see, was nape length and worn long on one side, shading half of the face. None of the figures moved; only stared at his back with the same unwavering resilience as Kureno had previously demonstrated. There was no doubt over where their attention was aimed. The two outer most figures had their heads tilted to the side, in order to view the family master with ease.

Akito felt a shiver down his spine. A strange primal hiss was seeping from his mouth, as though the fear was driving him into death. The figures did not move, but he could feel them there. Watching. Waiting.

But for what?

****

SCENE CHANGE

"I'm afraid he want's no one else to see it." Kureno explained to the abrupt protests of disappointment surfacing from the rest of the family. The household servants seemed content to leave it at that and went on about their business; all in opposite directions to the sitting room. However the family members seemed less then satisfied with Akito's order.

"It may be that he is simply concerned with privacy." Hatori reasoned, rubbing his chin with the arch of his thumb. "When you consider the meticulous placing of the tape beneath the floor of the family master's room, it would be sound to assume that perhaps the tape was intended alone for a master's viewing. If not Akito's alone."

"I believe that may be it." Kureno said agreeably. He would have said anything to hasten their exit.

Shigure made a noise that expressed disinterest and raked a hand through his bangs.

"It's probably for the best." He said. "Knowing our family, that tape probably has some ticked off, PMS'y bitch on it just dying to come crawling out of someone's T.V."

"You truly believe that Sadako would stand a chance against Akito?" Kureno asked scrupulously. This remark delighted Shigure and he chuckled openly.

"You never know. After all, they were cut from the same cloth!" He laughed broadly at the idea and received a disapproving glance from Hatori in return for his wit. Ayame, distracted, continued to stare at the doorway to the sitting room as though his eyes could scour whatever was beyond. Shigure noticed and grabbed a handful of his sleeve, pulling him close.

"What say we head off home then Aya? Hmm? I seem to remember promising someone a back massage, which I'm just sure he's dying to get to."

Ayame continued to stare at the doorway hypnotically. Shigure gave him a little shake to get his attention.

"Oh? Hmm?" He looked into the novelist's agitated face and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry Shiggy. My mind was off in another place."

"Is it anywhere else?" Hatori muttered offhandedly.

"Hari!" Ayame exclaimed, offended.

"Look, could you all just GO?" Kureno asked just a little more than exasperated. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude but it is imperative that you leave as soon as possible. For your own good that is."

"I didn't mean to be a bother." Ayame insisted as he looped his arm around Shigure's slim waist. "And before you say it Hari, 'Yes I am perfectly aware of the fact that I never intend to be a bother but I am regardless.'"

"I dislike it when you approximate what I intend to say before I say it." The doctor grumbled.

Ayame ignored him. "But, the reason that I was staring at the doorway with such fervent attention before is because I got this... well, I don't know, bad feeling I guess you can say. Like somebody running their finger down my spine."

Shigure looked glum. "That's a _bad _feeling?"

"You know what I mean."

"Perhaps you are simply woozy from the injuries you sustained in the accident?" Kureno suggested giving a small bow of his head. He was wondering just how more subtle he would have to be about prompting them to leave. "After everything you've been through you must be tired. The best thing would be to go home, get some rest, have a nice uh- back rub. A lie down. After a hit on the head it can be quite trying standing up for long periods of time. I should know; I do it all the time."

By this point Shigure had stopped listening and was holding Ayame's face between his hands, angling his chin up and looking him over. He examined his eyes, the cut corners of his lips, the heavy bruise on his cheek and the bloodied bump adorning his cranium. To be honest, it looked like he had gone through a war zone. It was heartbreaking to see his beautiful lover like this. Like a crushed rose petal, weeping its seductive color.

"Kureno may be right Aya." He said softly, brushing his cheeks gently with his thumbs. Ayame slid his hands over Shigure's hips and buried his fingers into the curve of his back. "That lump on your head looks like a goose egg. You should lie down, get some more rest... Would you prefer to go to your place? It's closer than mine after all..."

Ayame mumbled a soft sound of protest and gently shook his head. "No... No." He insisted. "Don't want to go to my place. I want to go home. With you."

The words surprised him a little, but he knew without doubt that the way he had placed them was significant of his own thoughts. Whilst he had his own house within the Sohma grounds, it was Shigure's place that he was now comfortable with calling home. When he wasn't there, he yearned for it. For the warmth of Shigure's bed and the feeling of his arms around him all through the night. For the smell of Tohru's cooking when he awoke each morning. For the verbal war between Yuki and Kyou that erupted each day but was more often then not directed at him. Yes... just like all of them, he too found security in a place separate from the Main House and grounds. He was home, when he was with Shigure.

Softened by these words, Ayame surrendered to the temptation to give himself to Shigure's arms. Being the same height, it made it difficult to bury his face into his chest like he so longed to do but alternatively, they were able to lean their heads together and keep at eye contact. It made Ayame feel close to his dark haired lover. And he could never be too close to his Shigure.

The novelist squeezed the silver haired snake tightly around the shoulder's, wondering just how they could have been so careless whilst driving the car. Well... he supposed it wasn't _that _improbable, considering who they were but still... They'd never had a serious accident like this before and they'd certainly come close plenty of times. He made a mental note to write a long and wordy letter of abuse to the company who manufactured Ayame's car, berating them for not perfecting the airbag release mechanism on the driver's side.

"Okay darling." He whispered into his lover's ear and carefully stroking the crown of his head. "We'll go home. All right?"

Ayame gave a small nod and pressed his forehead to Shigure's, meeting his eyes. He was content to just fall into those brown pools and never surface, but Kureno was determined to spoil the mood by impatiently tapping his foot, with his arms crossed over his chest in the traditional 'move along' stance. Just to make him wait a little longer, Ayame spent an offensive amount of time brushing the hair from Shigure's eyes and gently kissing him on the bottom lip. Shigure seemed to catch on and humorously extended the kiss by pushing Ayame back against the wall as though he could no longer contain his passion. Hatori, unable to watch his friend's display, lit a cigarette, picked up his crutches and hobbled back towards the front door, muttering to himself about why he didn't have any normal acquaintances.

Shigure finally ended the kiss and grabbed Ayame's hand. He shot a pointed glare at Kureno.

"All right we're going. Happy now?" He snitched.

To their surprise Kureno looked anything but happy. Whilst they were perhaps expecting a seemingly escalated expression of annoyance than that of before, or maybe even disgust, what they did not expect was something akin to hurt. Kureno looked... sad. Almost like he was going to cry. Ayame quickly waved his hands in assurance.

"No... It's okay, don't be sad! He really isn't that bad a kisser!" He incorrectly assumed. Shigure batted him on top of the head.

"Kureno, what's wrong?" He asked. The rooster quickly gained control over his emotions and the usual apathetic mask sprung back into place as surely as though it were on a string. He waved a hand.

"Oh... nothing." He assured unconvincingly. "Seeing the two of you... just reminded me of something. But that's all- you know nothing important."

Ayame was prepared to continue drilling him on this point, when he was suddenly struck by that feeling again. True as he said, it was cold and insistent. Like dark hands pressing to the walls of his heart. And this time, he saw that it was not he alone that felt it. Kureno stiffened, as though suddenly becoming aware of something. He met Ayame's widened eyes.

"You felt it too..." The snake hissed. Shigure looked at them both, uncomprehending.

"Felt what?" He asked.

Ayame didn't answer. The source of the bad feeling was originating from the room that Akito was in and whilst Akito alone was enough to warrant a bad vibe, this was something even more cold and sinister then he. Without thought to the consequence, driven by the icy finger tickling his gut, Ayame pulled free of Shigure's hand and strode resolutely to the doorway, sliding it open. What he saw made his blood freeze in his veins.

Akito was kneeling, facing the television, but seemingly aware of the malevolent presence in the room. His shoulders were rigid, his swayed back was straightened as much as it could be and violent shudders raced throughout his body. Ordinarily, Ayame would just presume that this was due to the sickness, but the sight of the three semi-transparent figures hovering just beyond the family master's shoulder's was enough to convince him otherwise. Ayame shuddered and a small whimper rose in his throat. He clamped down on his lips with his teeth, trying to smother the noise but it was too late. Two of the figure's started to turn, shifting their gaze on him. The third; who appeared to be a small girl, continued to face forward, her eyes firmly planted on Akito who was plainly visible through her. Ayame thought it was a bit like viewing something through a gray sheathe.

The girl was dressed in what might have been a simple white kimono, secured around her waist by a thin waif of cord. It looked very old and worn, much too big to fit her properly. The tall figure, that of a woman, was wearing a loose fitting kimono with train, pulled over top of a tighter perhaps white kimono that was tied by a thick black cord. Ayame could not tell what color the outer garment was, being that the figures were rendered in shades of gray. The face of the woman was sad, pinched and slight, with deep dark shadows under her eyes. Almost like the makeup a rock star would paint on before a performance. Her long hair was dark and wavy in places but looked well kept. She watched Ayame with an expression he could only define as regret.

As for the male figure, his identity was impossible to date. Where his face should have been there was merely a mess of what appeared to be a milky white translucent substance, stirred into torrents as though whipped by a spoon. What might have been a mouth, twitched from the very base of this whirlpool and Ayame could feel his breaths panting grimly from his chest. He made a nose like somebody spitting, yet no saliva left his mouth. It was as dry as a wad of cotton. He could feel Kureno attempting to glance over his shoulder, but Ayame pulled the door as far shut as he was able, preventing the other two from witnessing it. As he slid it up tight against his side, the specter of the girl took a small step toward Akito and raised its arms as though to embrace him. Ayame didn't know how, but a sudden very bad feeling told him that he couldn't allow the figure to hug the family master. Akito might not approve of such friendly actions from a mysterious ghosty kimono girl. Things could get quite ugly.

Ayame acted.

With barely the realization that he was doing so, instinct took over and Ayame felt himself lunge into the room, darting from one foot to the other which allowed him to swiftly evade the central figures. They turned slowly to follow his movements. Ayame wasn't paying attention. What he could see was that the figures' did not move from the spot in which they stood. They would swivel, or turn their heads but that was it. Reassured somewhat by this, he returned his attention to the task at hand. Fueled by the sudden rush of adrenaline, he kicked off from the floor, aiming for the petite family master before the television. For a moment he flew and was able to catch a glance of the withdrawing specter's fingers as he crashed bodily into Akito, sending them both rolling into the far wall. Akito landed face first on the floor, grunting in discomfort as Ayame landed on top of him. The silver haired tailor panted in barely suppressed terror and quickly glanced around, convinced that the specters' would converge upon them at any moment. He found himself gazing at any empty room.

Later he would remember feeling proud of how capably he had managed such a physical activity without breaking or straining anything. Of course that would be after he overcame the initial shock of the whole situation.

Akito tapped the floor with his fingernails, a look of calm exasperation on his malnourished face. The half that wasn't pressed into the floorboards.

"Excuse me," he said in a polite, but sinister tone of voice. "But- what do you think you are doing?"

Ayame immediately became flustered. As he once told Tohru, he had very little to do with the estranged family master and he preferred to keep it that way. When it came to standing up to people with questionable sadistic tendencies, Ayame found that a large portion of his spine evaporated. Not to mention control of his bladder.

"Well, I was- uh..." Fortune however smiled on Ayame Sohma that second and he was rescued by the faces of Shigure and Kureno at the door. His confidence immediately escalated. "Forgive me Sir but... you did see those th-th-things, right?"

Akito sighed as though he were dealing with an extremely irritable little child. He didn't really rate Ayame much higher than this anyway.

"There was nothing there." He insisted, rolling his eyes as far sideways as he could to include the older man in his vision. Ayame spluttered a protest.

"Excuse me Sir, but-"

"Excuse you, nothing!" Akito snapped, finally loosing his temper. The very presence of the snake infuriated him, knowing about his relationship with Shigure and how in love the pair was. It didn't make any sense! Not to him anyway. How could Shigure love something so... so... impure? The man's very touch made him want to scrub his skin to the bone with a wire brush. As far as Akito was concerned, there was nothing good, nor redeemable about whores. And Ayame Sohma applied. He was everything he had been taught to hate, he went against everything he knew as being wholesome. Yet this brat, this disgusting, filthy, brazen little concubine somehow had wooed the one person Akito thought he could have fallen in love with.

It made him sick.

No... Sick was a weak word. All he felt was anger. That familiar hot seductive pull of anger tugging him into a downward spiral, like water through a plug-hole.

"Get your filth stained body off of me." Akito snarled, his fingers curling into sharp digits. When Ayame hesitated, the master grabbed him forcefully by the sleeve and tugged him with all his might. "I said get the hell off of me!!"

Ayame rolled off of Akito's erstwhile body and brushed himself off, backing away very quickly. The family master was on his feet, advancing with a look in his eye like a tiger eyeing off a very tender antelope. Only Ayame didn't feel nearly quite so nimble as an antelope.

"I know you saw it!" He babbled, trying to keep Akito from doing something rash. Namely to him. "I was trying to help you!"

"You want to help me?" Akito hissed, sounding more snake like then Ayame ever had in his zodiac form. "You really want to help me? Then here's what you can do-" In a movement so sudden it resembled a spider bite, Akito darted forward and secured Ayame by the side of the face pulling his chin up in position over his shoulder. The family master's lips rested on the crest of his ear and he whispered in a hushed tone that neither of the other two men were privy to. "I know what you just saw. And I don't know how it is that you too can see it, because this is _my _curse. Not yours. Now- know this. I did something for you today that was completely out of character for someone like me. The act was not selfish, nor did it benefit me in anyway. I did something to help _you. _But don't let it go to your head. As a person, I have never liked you. You should have learnt a long time ago your station as one who is cursed by the snake is to be subdued and humble. You are neither of these things. And you have taken from me something very, very precious." Ayame trembled at the cold husk of Akito's voice, lowering with every word he spoke. He desperately tried to catch Shigure's eye, to beg him without words for assistance. Akito grabbed a handful of Ayame's hair and yanked his face around hard. "Don't look at him!"

Akito's breathing became hard and labored as he struggled to keep his emotions under control. More than anything he simply wanted to cast the snake upon the ground and beat him into submission. To make him suffer for taking Shigure away from him. But he withheld his temper, as much as was possible. To ensure that Ayame knew how serious he was, he gave his hair another sharp tug causing him to cry out.

"Shigure!" Ayame called.

"Ayame!" Shigure cried in response. He made a move as though to leap into the room but Kureno grabbed him by the forearms and slammed him securely against the wall, preventing him from taking action. Shigure was shocked. He had no idea Kureno was that strong. The moment passed and he was struggling again, surprisingly helpless in the rooster's grip.

"Stop it. Stop it." Kureno hushed, his features pleading silently. "Don't worry. He's not going to hurt him."

"You can't be damn sure!" Shigure snapped back, giving a defiant wriggle. "He's got nothing left to lose now."

Akito was getting frustrated by the snake. He firmly yanked his hair again, then in one swift blow slapped him across the face. Shigure bellowed in shock and renewed his struggles.

"Now I only did that to make you realize just how serious I am." Akito hissed privately to Ayame, who was reduced almost to the state of tears. "Stop carrying on like that! The Honda girl had more courage then you did, and I surely intended more pain for her then I ever would you."

Ayame whimpered, both hands clutching the base of his hair to prevent the pain from Akito's harsh pulling. He felt a tear slide down his cheek.

"I'm sorry!" He whispered, forsaking his dignity for the chance that Akito would let him go. "I wasn't respectful... I know! But... but I really was trying to help you and-"

"ENOUGH!" Akito roared, pulling his face up close and screaming into it. "Do you really think I care about that?! Stupid snake!! You stupid, brainless, pathetic, waste of space! That's what you are!"

"That's what I am." Ayame agreed, sobbing and nodding his head. He would have said anything just to be free of him.

There was a silence where Akito just stared at him, at his tear-streaked face for what felt like forever. Ayame was more ashamed than he ever had been in his life. He didn't doubt that Tohru had expressed more resilience in Akito's presence then he had. Even Yuki wouldn't be reduced to... to this! This miserable, wretch that was he! He was giving in, going along... what a spineless fool he was.

Finally, something passed on Akito's face. His lips twitched upward into a cruel smile and he laughed at what he had reduced Ayame to. His eyes flickered over to Shigure as if to say 'look at this thing you are in love with.' Shigure glared back, his eyes a cold, cold fire.

Akito leant down close to whisper in Ayame's ear. "If you want to help me snake, then do this – you give thanks everyday that someone like Shigure bothers to lend you the time of day, let alone the other side of his bed. Denounce that whorish life you've lived." He glanced once more at Shigure and then lowered his voice so much that it was almost impossible to hear. "I wish I had put aside more time to educate you as well as your brother. Perhaps then, things would have turned out a little more differently. You would know your boundaries and you would have known how to have respected yourself."

"I... don't know what you... mean..." Ayame asked, seething with anger over the memory of what this bastard had done to Yuki. It drove a cold steel knife through his gut, increasing in the like as he contemplated the fact that he had simply allowed it to happen.

"I mean, that you. Are. A. Slut." Akito said spelling it out. "Do you actually believe that any of the people you slept with over the years had any respect for you? If you have no respect for yourself, how can you expect others to respect you? They just fucked you because you made it easy for them..." His voice became simpering and mock sympathetic. "Perhaps that explains why Shigure finally let you into his bed? After all, our Shigure has always know what side his bread is buttered on..."

A sudden rush of bravery made Ayame bold. He dared to raise his head and meet Akito's contemptuous eyes. "Shigure and I... we're together because... because I love him." He growled, his face contorting in such uncanny resemblance of Akito's that it was terrifying. "And because he loves me. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it, Akito."

As soon as the words had left his lips, he knew they were a mistake. But amazingly enough, Akito's reaction was not what he expected it to be. Instead of the thunder crashing melodrama he was fearing, the family master's eyes softened and his face got this sad, sort of defeated look on it. With a gentle sigh, he released his hold on Ayame's hair and stepped back.

"No." He said at even. "There's not."

Ayame straightened up and regarded the younger man carefully, as though fearing he would resume his attack at any moment. But Akito seemed incredibly weary all of a sudden and Ayame once more had to remind himself, that he was looking at a boy little older than his baby brother. Sometimes, due to the nature of Akito himself, it was easy to forget that.

"I'll be dead soon anyway, so what does it matter?" the boy murmured in his husky undertone. There was something vulnerable on his face that had never been there before. Ayame had never seen it. Shigure had seen it but once; when Tohru had told Akito that she did not regret meeting him. The young master was struggling to keep himself from crying and was barely succeeding in the effort. To hide his failed attempts, he hid his face in the long sleeve of his kimono as the first tears began to slide down his cheeks.

"Don't... listen to... someone like me tell you... not to love..." Akito said, his voice rising and falling as the struggle to hold his grief back failed. "Don't let some... stupid, hateful kid tell you what to do with your lives... because his has been nothing but a waste!"

"Akito..." Kureno started, releasing his hold on Shigure. The inu took a few steps toward Ayame but faltered as the snake waved a guiding hand at him. Instead, the tailor took a few closing steps forward and carefully put his arms around Akito, pulling him to his chest.

Akito saw what Ayame was trying to do and pushed away from him, escaping to the other side of the room. He faced the wall and raked a hand through his hair, trying to seem like he was in control. Honestly he had never felt less so.

"I don't want your meaningless pity." He said, quickly wiping at the tears that stained his florid cheeks. Ayame was not easily deterred.

"It's not pity." He insisted as Shigure came up beside him. "I just don't like to see people cry. It's not in my nature to stand by and do nothing!"

"Aya-" Shigure began, knowing he was far too late to prevent something that was already on a roll. True to that nature, Ayame pressed his fingers against the inu's mouth and gave him a look.

"Hush darling. I'm trying to console our bent and broken family master, here." He explained as though it was not perfectly obvious what he was trying to do. Akito gave him a look like he was an absolute idiot. "Now as I was saying Akito, it's perfectly okay to cry! It let's out all those nasty feelings and no one will think any less of you for it! Real men cry, don't they Shigure?"

"Oh, so now you want me to talk." The exasperated inu snitched, hands on hips. Akito shook his head, his back still facing them.

"Go home." He said at last. All the men looked at him questioningly. "Go home and... have a nice night together. Don't let what I've done here ruin anything for you."

Shigure considered for a moment, then leaned close to Ayame. "You know... that almost sounded like an apology to me."

After an exceptionally long 'nine months pregnant' pause Akito sighed and tilted his head back, hands on his hips. He seemed rather at odds with what it was that he was about to do. He cleared his throat and spoke very clearly, so as the words could not be misconstrued. "For the indignation I caused you... Ayame Sohma... I apologize."

There was an even longer silence as the three men's brains tried to process just what it was they had heard. The words themselves weren't foreign in concept, only the mouth from which they were spoken made it so much more difficult to digest. Kureno had heard them directed at him earlier that day, but was nonetheless surprised that Akito would ever lower his standards enough to apologize to the ignominious snake of the zodiac.

Shigure recovered more quickly then the other two. "Well I'll just head on outside and see if the world has ended."

Ayame had to cover up his laughter as a sudden severe asthma attack. Akito however, did not see the humor in this. He did not see humor in many things, dark as he was. His black eyes, almost seemingly in a state of berating those who looked upon them, glanced but once at Shigure and then returned to the blank wall before him. He waved a hand over his shoulder.

"Go home." He repeated. And left it at that.

Shigure could see no point in further prolonging the unnecessary visit and grabbed Ayame's hand, yanking him firmly from the room. Ayame followed, his eyes lingering on the back of Akito's head and the many questions he had to ask that needed answering. But Kureno made a point of ushering them out the door, before any more loose words could fall astray. His expression was sterner then they had ever seen it. At that very moment, he resembled a scolding parent who had just caught their child licking sugar off of the cookie. He sounded like one too.

"I told you to leave and you did not. Why could you not do as I asked you?" Kureno groaned and shook his head, palm flat against his forehead. "As it were, you are fortunate that Akito is much too weary these days to exact his frustration out in full. Were he not, I fear you may have come from this confrontation much worse. Next time, do as I say! I say it not for my benefit, but for yours! I know Akito better than the both of you do and I know his moods. You'd be wise to benefit from my knowledge as such."

"Oh relax Kureno! Nothing happened!" Shigure assured with a campy wave of his hand. "You worry too much. Aya's fine, I'm fine. It's all good! Oh, by the way, no hard feelings about you slamming me back against the wall. I'm sure you were just trying to protect me."

Kureno noted the sarcasm in his voice and chose to ignore it. They both knew that it had been Akito he meant to protect from Shigure, who would have stopped at nothing to save Ayame. Kureno could understand that and felt Shigure was perfectly justified in the action against his master. But that was just it; Akito _was _his master and something of a younger brother figure besides. He couldn't just stand by and watch him be hurt. Even if he was hurting others.

"Next time, heed my words and we can perhaps avoid any potential mishaps in the future." Kureno said instead. He gestured toward the hallway. "Do you wish to take a car back to your house, Shigure?"

Shigure went to affirm that it was probably a better idea but Ayame beat him to it.

"Actually," he said. "I don't mind walking. My headaches feeling a little bit better now and I think the fresh air would do me good! Or Shigure in particular, being cooped up inside so much!" He poked Shigure's belly as though to affirm this.

Kureno didn't seem convinced. "Are you sure?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck. "It's starting to get dark out. And you know what kind of weirdo's you can get prowling around the wood's late at night..."

"We won't be prowling around tonight, we'll just walk straight through!" Ayame quipped, wrapping his arms around Shigure's waist. Both men laughed. "Don't worry about us, Kureno! We'll be fine. And I'm sure Shiggy will protect me from any mean old stalker who wants to throw me in a ditch and have his horrid way with me!"

"Yeah, but who'll protect the stalker from _you?_" Shigure muttered off to the side. Ayame naturally heard and punched him hard in the chest.

"Well if you want to walk you'd better get going." Kureno intervened before they could start play fighting again. "The sooner the better."

"Are we really that deplorable company?" Ayame asked sadly. Kureno gave him a smile.

"No. That's not what I meant. You should leave soon while there's still light, that way you won't be tripping all over each other in the dark."

Ayame and Shigure looked at each and grinned mischievously. Kureno gave up.

"Get going. And make sure you drink plenty of fluids and get some rest Ayame. _Moderate _rest anyway, knowing you two." He watched them walk off together, holding hands and exchanging sweet little nothings all the way down the hallway. With the event of possession snatched from their minds by Hatori, both men were happy once more, not troubled by memories of the past. That was the privilege of so many Sohma's. To forget the things that caused you pain, to forget the things that would make you hurt or cry, or even to forget the things that once made you happy.

That was their privilege.

It had never been Kureno's.

"I envy you." He said to their departing backs. "I envy the love that you have for each other. It is a love our kind is rarely afforded. ...And when we can afford it... it is too expensive to keep. But... no one wants to be forgotten about by those they have loved. No one wants to mean... nothing."

He took a deep breath and found the air of the Sohma house suddenly too stuffy for his liking. It would have been nice to have been able to walk through the woods like Ayame and Shigure, breathing the fresh air and taking in all the sights and sounds. That would have been the privilege he most longed for. What he prayed for every night.

Kureno savored the silence for a few moments longer and finally re-entered the sitting room, unaware that when he and Akito emerged from it, everything they knew would change forever.

One of the Sohma's darkest secrets was about to be revealed.

****

SCENE CHANGE

Akito pushed the tape into the VCR and switched on the television. After flipping through the channels for a while he came across the one that displayed video footage and pressed the Play button. Kureno was sitting further back at the center table, back straight and fists pressed to his thighs. Akito regarded him casually.

"You may relax."

Kureno appeared confused. "I am relaxed."

The family master rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the television as the tape began playing. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest with excitement, crazy with anticipation over what this cryptic tape could have on it. Akito had the tenet that perhaps the tape had something to do with his mother. Like maybe a suicide tape she made before she died. But then again, why go to all the fuss? Why not instead write a note?

His musings were cut short by the realization that there was in fact – nothing on the tape. Nothing but rockin' static broadcasting out to Sohma audience, Current population: 2. Kureno shifted a little, resisting from breathing a sigh of relief. He instead tried to appear helpful.

"Akito. Was the tape fully rewound when you found it?" He received a nod in response. "Then try fast-forwarding it. Perhaps the footage is further along. If there is any footage at all." He added, trying to be realistic.

"Why would someone go to all the trouble of hiding a tape in a clandestine box beneath a floorboard in my room, with a feather attached to it, once in my possession, if it were blank?" Akito snapped as he fast-forwarded the tape, eyes trained with premeditation on the snow filled screen. He felt that could he not find anything, he would burst into tears. However, after only a few seconds of skipping ahead, footage appeared. Akito stopped the tape immediately and scuttled back to get a better view of what was on screen. He could barely suppress the smile threatening to swallow his face.

"Look Kureno... do you see that? Look..."

Kureno nodded precariously.

The picture that the camera had captured was dark and obviously old. The context was sort of grainy and blurry about the edges yet no date was displayed in the corner of the screen so neither could confirm it. The shot panned around a Japanese bedroom, paying particular mind to the faded oriental landscape on the door and the tree's and mountains painted on the wooden ceiling border. The room itself seemed to compliment the theme of life and living things as a whole. The camera moved to show the other side of the room, which was basically more of the same.

Kureno yawned and dabbed at his open mouth with his hand. "Any of those questions being answered yet?"

Akito had the class not to answer. His eyes remained trained on the screen, waiting for something to make sense to him. Anything. He didn't mind that the video only showed someone's decor at the moment. Maybe some people would find that sort of thing boring, but the fact that the tape itself had been found under such mysterious circumstances compensated some for that. This was interesting him. And he was sure there was better to come.

He was not wrong. When the camera was finished on one side of the room, it panned further to include a window in its view. Something clicked. It was the sound of Kureno's jaw clamping shut. But many more things clicked within Akito's mind.

Not to say that he was in possession of the only circular window in Japan, no. But the decor itself should have instantly sent the alarm bells ringing. How the room had been painted and decorated said something wholly unique about the Sohma family master's who had lived there over the years. Picture's of mountains, birds, tree's and wildlife all spelt the same horrid fact: It was to compensate for their illness that came with being the spider and the core of the zodiac curse. Because of their short lives and their inability to go outside as freely as they would have liked, the decor made up for this in some artificial, mediocre way. Akito thought it stank, but that was just him.

"Well... it should have been obvious really that the filming had been done in your room." Kureno said as he shuffled forward on his knees to sit beside Akito. "After all that's where we found it..."

The camera graced the window with one shade pushed open, revealing a three-quarter moon hanging in the inky night sky. Akito thought it looked beautiful. He'd always had an affinity for the moon. Not so much for the sun. It made him feel sicker than usual when the weather was hot.

After focusing on the moon for an unnecessary length of time, the camera continued to turn until it was focusing on the sleeping side of the room. Akito saw it zoom in on the bed and it's ruffled covers. Something shifted. The person with the camera moved closer so that the figure in the bed could be seen properly. Akito felt his breath catch in his throat. Felt the heart stop in his chest. The person in the bed wasn't asleep. A tousled head of black hair and eyes of the same color gazed out from beneath the pure white sheets at the camera, giving whomever was behind it that infamous judgmental look. Akito felt Kureno grasp at his arm and the nails dig in.

"Oh my God..." He said.

Akito just stared in shock at the twelve-year old version of himself. Stared at a memory he didn't remember living.

__

"What are you doing?" The young Akito asked with indignation. There came a chuckle from the individual holding the camera and he moved it even closer to the boys' face.

"_Just making a little video." _Came an articulate, broadly accented, yet genuinely masculine voice. _"Can you smile for me, Kito-kun? That would make a nice memory."_

"You're being annoying again." Twelve-year old Akito said, pushing the camera away with the tips of his fingers. Akito examined the younger version of himself with the same scrutiny just about everybody has for their pre-pubescent selves. Whilst there were obvious changes in height, body structure and build, many of the factors remained unchanged. Though still skinny, his face was softened by an obvious layer of puppy fat. Yet the eyes that gazed out from his long mop of black hair remained the same, as was to be expected, he supposed. Eyes were the one thing you could be sure never changed. The younger version of himself, (he could only _assume _that he was twelve in this shot,) turned away from the prying camera and covered himself with blankets. The individual with the camera, reached out and snatched the blankets back, revealing the curled body of young Akito. Young Akito did not seem happy about the disturbance.

"_Oh... would you just let me sleep?"_ He whined and then started to laugh at something the unseen individual was doing. Akito had not a clue who it was, but it would seem that he was very fond of the person behind the camera. He couldn't remember the last anyone had made him genuinely laugh, which obviously meant something.

__

"On one condition, Small Hodgers – " The figure appeared much older then his younger self, which made him wonder if it was in fact, his father. He scratched that, realizing that his father had been killed when he was five and there was no way in Hell that Akito was five years old in this video. _"I want you to smile for me. Just one teensy, weensy smile, that's all I'm asking!" _A pause. _"You're going to make me get down and beg aren't you?"_

The child Akito laughed at this and sat up, leaning close to the camera lens. He made a big smile, involving plenty of teeth. _"How's this?"_

"Not like that! Smile nicely!" The camera guy moaned. _"This is serious Kito-kun!"_

"All right, all right- quit your whining already." The child Akito dropped the cheesy grin and compensated with a nice, photographic looking smile. Akito almost had a cardiac arrest. He never realized just how... well... nice he looked when he smiled. Smiling like that, even as a puppy fat ridden twelve-year-old made him seem attractive. Something he'd never even contemplated before.

__

"That's better!" The older guy cheered and the camera suddenly shut off into darkness. It lasted only moments long and reopened up on another pan around of the bedroom, only this time Akito could see that his younger self was fast asleep in bed. He shifted on his knees and exchanged a glance with Kureno who have a sort of helpless shrug in return.

The camera was set down on something, propped up to focus on the window framing the night sky beyond. Then, a figure moved into shot and glanced out the window but once as though assuring that no one else was eavesdropping, or looking in. Then he, (it was a he,) turned and knelt down before the camera, placing his hands gently on his thighs the exact same way Kureno did.

But it wasn't Kureno.

It was nearly impossible to discern individual feature's from the darkness and identification was a no go. Akito was convinced that he had never seen this person before in his life. But then again, he obviously had. Kureno's lips were pursed and his eyes seemed to come alive as soon as the figure moved into shot. The rooster appeared to be withholding something very much like anger or excitement. Akito however didn't notice as his eyes were on the screen, examining the stranger.

From what he had seen, he was tall, more so than the typical Japanese man. At a random guess he would have said around two meters (six feet.) The light from the moon outside revealed the shaggy proportions of his hair, long and hanging about his face with bangs on each far side that framed his jawbones and reached down to the chin on one side, and beneath the eye on the other. And as for the eyes... whilst no other features of the face could be made out the eyes were easily distinguished, owing to the fact that they were blood red, without pupil and seemed to glow in the darkness. Such an oddity would have surely frightened him in any other circumstance, but for some reason Akito felt no fear. Perhaps it was because part of him deep down remembered this person, whoever it may be, and found comfort in this foreign shielded familiarity. Or maybe it was because of the body posture, reminding him of much of Kureno. Whatever the case, Akito felt quite relaxed. Kureno on the other hand had gone even more rigid then usual.

__

"Hey there Akito." The red-eyed one said. Akito jumped a little, surprised at being directly addressed. He tried to place the accent evident in the man's voice but it was an unclear definitive mixture between the individuals original place of origin and the acquired slant of the Japanese language. _"...well... I suppose there's no point in telling you my name. It would have little meaning to you now and if there's anything that I want to convey in this video message, it would be meaning. The truth is... is that you actually already know who I am – even if you do not remember that right now. So – let's bypass the name and move on._

Obviously by now you have found the box – and since you are sitting there watching me flap my gums, it means also that your memories of me are gone. ... And so am I... I suppose." For a moment it seemed as though his emotions would get the better of him. His brilliant red eyes were dulled by the slim streamline of tears, tracing his lower eyelid. With a mumbled apology, he quickly wiped them away and returned his attention to the camera, the bright glow of his eyes further enhanced by the wet sheen upon them. _"What I can be grateful for, is that you won't feel the pain that I feel right now. You won't need to hurt for somebody who doesn't even exist." _He laughed bitterly at this. _"And if you did remember me, I'm sure you'd agree that my absence is regretful to say the least. To put it in more appropriate terms: It fucking bites." _He might have smiled then. There was certainly a chuckle in his words. _"It feels so weird to be talking to you like this. After all, you're just lying there asleep in the bed behind me. See?... I... can't help by wonder how old you are now. You must be very beautiful, like your mother."_

Akito felt his cheeks burn and scoffed as though the notion was outrageous. The red-eyed one rubbed at the dark area where his chin would be, as though carefully considering how to appropriately phrase his next sentence.

__

"The reason I'm making this tape is because something has happened and because of this – I'm not allowed to stay with you anymore. And I can't stand the thought of leaving without giving you something to remember me by." He made an uncomfortable noise and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. _"I'm really not very good at this melodramatic shit... If I were to say the words I'd meant to say, they wouldn't be true. It's not how I feel here, right now." _He rapped his chest with his hand, right over where his heart would be. _"It's how I felt _before _I was faced with the severity of what has to happen to me._" The red-eyed one's head lowered and Akito could see the genuine fear radiating from this poor- well he wasn't even really a man, he barely looked Akito's current age. Whatever the case, the boy/man be it what it was, was clearly struggling to hide something that terrified him. _"I cannot lie. I cannot lie and make a big joke out of this like I normally would."_

At this, his emotions took over and he began to cry angry, bitter tears. His voice grew from gentle and nurturing, to fully encompass the fear he was feeling. His thick accent almost rendered the following words incomprehensible as his pronunciation began to slur with the collapse of his articulation. _"I'm not ready to leave the place I call home! I'm not ready to leave the people I call family! When I think about what's going to happen to me... I'm afraid. I try to be strong but the truth is ... is that I'm so scared. Scared like that child who awakens from a nightmare and calls out to their parents. Only there is no one who can save me from my nightmare. I can't see what's beyond tomorrow and I fear even looking that far ahead. It's as though I see nothing beyond what I already have here. ... I don't want that sun to rise. I want tonight. I want here and now to remain forever, so that I can stay too. ... I'm afraid..." _It took a while for him to overcome his emotions, but eventually he won out and with a long suffering sigh, returned his eyes to the camera. _"I seem to be twisting this whole thing into nothing but circles. I should try to explain._

You don't remember, but I used to work at the Main House. I suppose you could say that I was your personal guardian after your Mama passed away. Kureno and I both."

Akito shot an accusing glance at Kureno who looked just as confused as he did. The red-eyed one continued and Akito put his questions on hold for the time being.

__

"The lifetime that the three of us shared, the memories we made together, on the many paths we trod – by tomorrow and well by the time you are seeing this – all that we had together, will be gone. No one will remember a thing about me. The elders will see to that." Judging from the astringency in his voice, Akito figured that his mystery man was more then a little sore at the Family Elders. He could relate. _"But... I've never been one to follow the rules and thus, I made this tape. So that some part of me could remain behind, even if your memories of me could not._

But whilst I feel sympathy for myself, my greatest regret is that I will not be there to see you grow up. To see your features start to take shape, for your legs to grow long, for your eyes to develop that adult understanding. That _is what I want to see, more than anything. And because of my stupidity – I have extinguished all my hopes of ever having a chance to do so._

There was so much I planned to help you through and to see you achieve. I wanted an education for you, more so than the one that the Family Elder's could have provided. Just the image of you going on to University, excelling at something and being able to stand there and say 'I did it' with that diploma in your hand and that beautiful smile on your face. But... ultimately education is not the most important thing I wish for you, my darling. Even were you to never pay attention to the words and lectures of your teachers and spend all your time daydreaming, my pride in you would never waver. For you, may you come to see the importance in loving your family and friends because they will be there to help you, as long as your hand is forever extended to help them. As I wont be there to guide you, put your faith in those that surround you, for they will run to your side when you fall and that, my dear, is a guarantee. As long as you have love, there are no limits to the sacrifices that those you love will make for you. Take it from someone who knows.

I don't expect you to be perfect, Kito-kun. I expect you to fall down, make mistakes, screw up. That is what being young is all about after all. Living, learning and discerning by going down the wrong road every once in a while. I certainly did. And that is how we learn the balance of opposites after all, by tasting the light and the darkness. Take big spoonfuls from each, but learn to enjoy the taste of happiness more than that of despair. Because there is nothing more that I want for you than happiness, Kito-Kun. Nothing more in the entire world.

As for your beliefs... I never placed much stock in religion myself. I did not pray, nor pay reverence to any deity you care to name. I probably took God's name in vain more then I ever took it in prayer and avoided giving gratitude to the Buddha for my meals, which should give you some indication of my avoidance! And in so saying, it would be nice if you did not follow in my footsteps in this particular circumstance. Because if you do so, you may become as cynical as I have and I don't want you to laugh at anything that gives other people hope. I want you to hope and believe in whatever the Hell it is you want to believe in. As long as it makes you feel safe in your heart when all other lights go out and you would otherwise feel afraid. I insist... no, no I demand Akito Sohma- that you give credence to the belief in something, _whether it be a God or something else entirely. Do this, and I will be able to smile wherever I might be._

As for that touchy subject of 'lurve' itself, well! Love, in its multitude of forms and flavors... Hear me when I tell you Akito, that love is the ultimate and final liberator. It knows not how to be selfish, nor the limits of forgiveness. Love knows mercy, kindness and the passion that can make your stomach hurt and your toes curl when you think of it. Love gives no thought to the passing of time nor the necessity of being right. Love hurts, love can break us and divide us. But love can heal whatever wounds that time cannot and it will be there to carry you when your own body fails you. It will keep you warm at night. Love... Love is what I spent every, single day of my life, here in this house – giving to you, my darling. And if you are able to love someone, if only a fraction of how I love, then nothing is in vain. If ever you are to love Akito – let it ravage your body until you can barely breathe. Love until your eyelashes flutter and your heart damn near dances from the throes of your chest. Give yourself to it, until you can scarcely stand it. Love can give you everything you ever imagined. All else is expendable. All but love.

So don't ever turn your back on it, divert your eyes or pretend not to see it. Don't run away from love or from whoever decides to love you. I want _you to be loved, so that you know that someone is loving you no matter what. And on that note, remember that you must not, by any circumstance, rely on the love of anyone else to make you feel alive or to give you a reason to live. In the absence of love – even the love of yourself, you just remember – that I will love you always. If you can remember that, then you don't need to remember me. Remember love and love will keep you safe." _And with that, the red-eyed man kissed the tips of his fingers and pressed them to the lens of the camera. His other hand rested on top of it as his eyes bore into the boy whom he had been trying to reach. _"Always."_

The tape ended.

Static exploded onto the screen and Akito jerked forward, slamming his finger down on the stop button. The white snow was swallowed by blackness and in the new silence, Kureno could now hear the heavy abrupt breaths, tearing from Akito's body. Dutifully, he moved forward and placed a hand on his waist, almost encircling his thin hips completely with his palm and fingers.

"Akito... are you all right?" He queried. The sudden low laughter that emitted from his master was enough to cause Kureno's stoic face to express surprise. He reassessed Akito's state carefully, wondering whether or not he should run for that paper bag. "Akito...?"

"Did you... hear him?" Akito giggled, shaking his head in mirth and sending his long straight bangs into a flurry. "He said he... he said that he loved me! Me!" This apparently was quite amusing to Akito and he wrapped one arm around his mid-section, as though it hurt to laugh so hard. His chuckles were breathy and soft, but would have torn from him more loudly had he the strength. There were actually tears in his eyes. "There was someone here who actually... loved me! Ha, ha, ha... have you ever heard of something more ridiculous in your life?! Ha, ha, ha!!"

Kureno grinned uncertainly and made a mental note to request stronger medication for his master.

"Loved me... someone was here once that loved me! Ha, ha, ha, ha-" Akito's crazed giggles suddenly escalated into benign fury and before Kureno could truly comprehend what was happening, the petite master had him by the front of his sweater and was throwing him backwards onto the floor, screaming into his confused face. "WELL IF HE LOVED ME SO MUCH, THEN WHERE THE HELL IS HE NOW?! WHERE IS HE KURENO!? WHERE IS HE?!"

White hot stars exploded before Kureno's eyes as the back of his head slammed against the hardwood floor. He whimpered and silently contemplated just why it was that he couldn't go for one day without getting injured in this household. Oh... that's right; he worked for Akito.

Fighting against the pain throbbing wave after wave through his cranium, Kureno pulled his face into a suitable confused expression, eyes wide with shock and uncertainty.

"Akito, believe me! I have no more of an idea who this joker is than you do!"

It was perhaps an unfortunate phrasing of words that caused Akito's anger to escalate two-fold in a matter of seconds. He lifted Kureno upwards by the fabric of his sweater as far as he was able and then drove him downwards, thumping his head cruelly against the floor. A screeching sound came from Akito's mouth; it was his canine's rubbing along one another as he clenched his teeth in fury.

"Silence!" He snapped, tightening his fists against the sweater fabric so hard it was a wonder his fingernails didn't puncture his palms. For some reason, Akito felt particularly defensive of the stranger he had seen on the videotape. Most probably for the way his younger self had reacted to him and the beautiful words he had spoken. The love for him, so clearly evident in that thick accent and crimson eyes. "Did you even hear what that man said, Kureno?! Were you listening?! He loved me Kureno. He _loved _me. Do you have any idea how long I have waited to hear someone say those words? Do you?!" He took a deep calming breath and tried to get a handle on his emotions. After the passing of a minute, he was serene enough to allow Kureno free of his hold and Akito staggered to his feet, pacing restlessly. Without the assistance of his cane he swayed as he moved, but he paid little heed to that. His thoughts were on the red-eyed one.

"The robed stranger spoke of a goodbye seven years in waiting..." He murmured to himself as Kureno straightened the creased front of his sweater. "I've forgotten some very important things Kureno. And I would like for you to talk. I would like that very much. What memories do you have of seven years prior?"

"The very same memories that I have always had, with nothing else coming to mind by this _tape_." The rooster grumbled, hefting himself heavily to his feet. Reaching behind him he used the back of his hand to brush free some attentive dust bunnies. "I... truly do not know what to tell you Akito. For I have never seen this man before in my life."

"Help me figure this out." The master implored, clenching his fists with renewed determination. "What do we know? We know that this man was here; proof made by my younger self's interaction with him. We also know that we have no memory of his being here as he made such a fastidious deal of the fact that we would forget..." He paused and made a peaked temple shape with his fingers, bobbing it slightly up and down whilst he procrastinated on something. "Be that as it may... perhaps Hatori is the one to ask."

Kureno crossed his arms over behind his back and rocked forward on his heels. "The fellow on the tape made it clear that everyone who ever knew him would relinquish their memories of him, once he was gone. It is just as likely that Hatori is able to erase his own memories as easily as he able to erase others. As such, the Family Elder's, who appear to have ordained this entire cover up, may have ordered the erasing of the individuals our red-eyed friend came into contact with, possibly including Hatori himself. Most likely, Hatori erased the memories of the individual from the family members minds and the memories from his own mind, including the memory of erasing the rest of the families memories and the purpose for doing so." He blinked, wondering if this had made sense. Akito nodded thoughtfully, though he hadn't actually cottoned on to half of what Kureno said.

"There is no point in going to Hatori then..." He snapped his finger's. "The Family Elder's. He said that they were the ones who were going to ensure that he was forgotten."

"Their memories have most likely been erased too." Kureno said sensibly. But he gave a little bow. "However, I can see how much this means to you, sir. If you like, I shall go and see them immediately, and inquire into the nature of this affair. If luck smiles on us, perhaps they will be able to give us answers."

Akito nodded. "Yes. Do that Kureno. I'm going to watch the tape again and try to pick up on anything that I may have missed the first time. And bring my cane to me when you return."

Kureno gave a nod of affirmation and stepped out into the hallway, sliding the door shut behind him. Akito knelt down and pressed the rewind button on the VCR, eager to hear the poetic words of the red-eyed one all over again. He was convinced that this was exactly what the robed figure had meant – about being loved by one before. And if the robed one had indeed spoken the truth it also meant that the boy on the tape would be able to find his way home again.

How Akito did not know. But he planned to be prepared.

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The Family Elder's had gathered together in the meeting room overlooking the garden's of the Main House. By now all were aware of the discovery made by Akito and were anxiously awaiting news of its secrets. The mood was somber and irascible. Hushed conversations were breaking out in the handfuls of the elder's prepared to rise above the constricting essence of dark foreshadowing. After the previous disturbance with the snake's possession, and the declaration Sho had spread about the household, everyone was on edge. All had a predictable idea what to expect when their informant finally returned.

The tense mood of the company was mercifully brought to a close as Kureno entered the room and made his deferential way over to Arata. She waited courteously with hands folded before her waist; Nobu and Sho framing either side of her in the exact mirrored stance. Their expressions were identical. That reluctant look of knowing the answer to a question they dreaded asking.

"Pay heed to Susumu." Arata called to the elder's. One by one, they turned and dipped their heads in perfect unison to the Elder of the servants. Kureno bowed back and turned his attention back to the elected spokesperson of the gathering. Arata's face was despairing.

"Is it as we fear?" She asked, wary of the answer.

Kureno nodded abruptly causing Sho to wail out loud. She fell away from her official stance and Kiyoko, one of two elder's responsible for the teaching of Marriage and Sexual relations, was forced to hold her up, less she faint. Arata held a hand to her chest to express her alarm.

Kureno looked at the gathering of elder's with an expression as if to say 'I told you so.' "It was the bane." Several gasps strung through the room at the mention of the cursed title. One of the elder's shrieked pleadingly at Kureno not to say its' name. "I don't intent to bring its' name into our presence. But hear me now, all of you: It was he. It deceived you all and left behind a tape in which it addressed the master. And now the master seeks it out. He seeks it out with the very same determination with which you drove it out!"

"Do not exclude yourself from the Elder's as a whole, Susumu." Nobu said grimly, his eye shining with the cataract focusing on him. "You also assisted in that task. Do not seek to forget that as the others have."

A primordial anger seethed beneath Kureno's ribcage, but he ignored it and continued to speak of the tape's message, trying to distance himself from the act of which they were speaking. "Sho herself spoke of the mark's on the Master's body. The marks are the touch of the bane, the stigmata of a past which you _have tried to drown in your self righteous justification!" A siren of protests began to wail at the shattering implication of his words but Kureno stood tall, determined to be heard. "In so saying... I do not excuse my part in this, and I have seen those marks on the master and I have heard the word of the Inaudible whom you never allowed to speak in freedom! Having been witness to all the memories in which others were forced to forget, I Susumu concur to the words of Sho, Elder of rituals and etiquette – the bane is upon us! And its' eyes are set on Sohma house." His voice dropped to a very low nuance, revealing his own fear. "It's coming back for us... and it's coming back... for _him."

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Note: Well folks' that's part one of Chpt 8. 2nd half coming soon. Oh, and don't forget: Akito isn't a girl. It's very important that you all remember this. ****


	9. Scarlet Symbol

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Born to be Broken

Disclaimer: It's not mine. Which is a shame because then I could sue the writers of the manga for making Akito a – wait, what am I saying? There is no Fruits Basket manga. Just the anime. Where Akito is a guy. And a hot one at that.

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Note: Well folks at long last, here it is. The longest chapter EVA. Sorry, I was meant to get it to you all sooner than this but having an eight year old computer causes some problems when it comes to doing _anything. _Seriously; the screen is half the size it used to be and most of the time my work just refuses to save. I've lost this chapter 3 times already so have some pity for me! I've done my best! (Sad puppy eyes.) BTW, the song that appears later in this fic was written by my good friend Hash. She has contributed two songs to this fic already and thus deserves a word of thanks. Thankyou Hash! (Waves)

Now onto the reviewer wanking- Uh, I mean _thanking:_

Chibi-nezumi: Glad that you have a lethal addiction to my fic! Here's another chapter to pump yourself with. Don't take it all in one hit. And I'm glad that you too have washed your hands of the evil FB manga. That doesn't exist. And Akito is not a girl. He's just a very girly guy. (Hisses at FB manga writers who are sitting in a circle sharing a very suspicious looking stove pipe) Yaoi rules!

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Demeter1: I'm trying to keep Akito as in character as possible, which means all the negative and positive sides of _his _personality, whether this makes the reviewers love him or hate him. And for the record, there is no chpt.97. In fact, there is no Fruits Basket manga. And Akito isn't a girl. THESE ARE ALL LIES. And by all means, feel free to give Akito many hugs that never end. Just as long as you leave some for me! I suppose Kureno and Ayame have ended up as the characters that everyone is attached to, but I personally feel that Akito is the driving force of the fic. It's difficult trying to make him change without being too goochy about it. There won't be any grand speeches of life and how great it is or anything. (A la Tohru) It will be a more subtle change. I hope. (Sweatdrops)

I've never actually read the Monster manga. What's it like? Oh and the guy on the tape may or may not be the bane. That's for me to know and for you to figure out. The stranger does wove Akito a wot. That's about all I can say for now!

Unfortunately, Akito will not be in this chapter. Ritsu won't be either. However, he has a big part in the next chapter, as of course Akitty does, so do not fear! But I have the Gure/Aya fans breathing down my neck right now for some hot loving and I can't keep them and their pointy weapons at bay much longer. Hope you enjoy the next chapter! More Akitty next time, sorry!

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foxgrl: (Glomphs back) Another update! Late, I'll admit but here it is! (Dances around Ulala style) You like my fic? Yay, I'm so happy! Gimme a kiss! (Puckers up and leans toward foxgrl) Hey! Where'd you go?

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Rubberboots: No need to apologize! It's a reviewer's job to help a writer correct their work, so I'm glad you pointed that out for me. Since reading your review I have thus edited chapter four and put in the corrections you suggested. That's what I get for using a French translator off of the net, huh? One of my friends is actually a French student so I promise I will get her to edit any French I henceforth submit! Thank you for pointing that out to me and hope you enjoy the next chapter.

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Cole'sLover: I'm happy you're enjoying my fic! Mystery/horror is my favorite genre and it doesn't get much attention in fanfiction sites, so it was a real challenge I set for myself! As for the plot twist, I'm making alterations all the time so it's a bit of a mystery for me too! Ultimately though, I just hope readers will find it intriguing. I think my writings boorish and anal to be honest but anyway, I'm not the one who has to read it! Uh... you know what I mean. I promise I will keep writing as well as I am able to, ma'am! (Salutes)

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Moondoom: I like you. (Hugs) You liked The Game we Play and this fic too! I like how you noticed that the same thing is plaguing Akito and Ayame. Any idea why this might be? I'm interested in hearing my reader's own theories on the matter! Chapter 8 did answer a lot of questions but this one makes up for it by presenting a hell of a lot more. I'm evil like that.

Akito controlled his anger towards Ayame mostly because he's internally breaking down. Physically and mentally he doesn't have the strength anymore to fuel his big temper tantrums.

You're the only reviewer so far to refer back to Chpt 1 and I'm so glad you did! In Ayame's dream, the guy he saw _may _or _may not _be the 'bane.' The guy on the tape _may _or _may not _be coming back to get his revenge. I'm not confirming or denying anything. Guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out! I have to save _some _of my plot twists.

It has been long in waiting but the lemon has finally landed in your laps. It is down the bottom of the page. (Watches Moondoom hastily scroll) Hey... don't forget the rest of the chapter too...

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Purple Witchy Angel: (Curls up in a crying, quivering ball) I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm a bad, bad person! (Beats self over head with PS2) To my credit I _did _make a note last chapter explaining that due to length restrictions the lemon would have to go in _this _chapter, in order to get the attention it deserved! Don't hate me! It's down the bottom of the page, see?! (Points to the lemon scene in which a squillion Aya/Gure fans are crowded around, crawling over each other to read that.) Please don't be mad! I'm sorry! Here, let me lick this speck of dust off of your shoe! (Licks PWP's boots.)

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duos-deathscythe: (Crawls from PWP's feet and throws herself at duos-deathscythes) Forgive me! I didn't mean to jump to conclusions like that, it's just I'm paranoid by nature and made a rash (and incorrect) assumption. I apologize for my asshat-iness. Riceball? (Holds out tray of sake riceballs as an apology) Anyhoo – Silent Words is an AWESOME fic! I love it! (Though Akitty was mean, at least he was a boy.) I can't wait till you update! I want to see Gure nurse poor little Aya back into health!

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Hakudoshi-chan: Is my fanfic spooky? I hope so! I'm trying to make it scary but I don't know how well I am doing so. Thanks for saying it is cool, but in this chapter I'll be trying to heat things up a little! BTW, the lemons down the bottom of the page. (Points again)

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Lucescuro: (Giggles along with Lucescuro) I don't imagine that Kureno is very sarcastic by nature but that line just needed to be said. Is the guy on the video the 'bane'? Well that's for me to know – (gets whacked by all readers) WAAAH!! I'm sorry! I have to let you all figure it out for yourselves or else it's no fun! I should have made a bigger point about Kureno being one of the elders. RANDOM INFO! – Kureno became an elder through default. His father Nori had him instated as the elder of the servants and ritual. Nori makes an appearance in the next chapter, just on a note. The Angel necklace has importance _later_ in the fic, but not for a while yet. Kureno's just holding onto it for now. (Examines Lucescuro's pasta) Hmm – maybe if you added some Tabasco to the sauce it wouldn't taste so sweet? Or black pepper? Sorry, I'm a terrible cook! Worse than Yuki!

Oh and **Shu:** Sorry! In the last chapter you asked where you could find more of my stuff and the site didn't come up when I answered you. I have 2 fics up at adult-fanfiction. net. Sorry about that!

N E way, next chapter a hoy! Try not to read it too quickly or you'll choke on the fluff!

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Darkness... a thousand fragments of past memories blurring into focus before fading back into the blackness again. Brief glimpses only, never lasting, unable to grasp a hold of them for any longer to even determine what they were. Short glances of the child he had been, all those years ago. As a teenager, frolicking about the halls of school with Hatori and Shigure at his side.

Darker days; the day he had turned Yuki away from him, not wanting to even acknowledge his little brothers existence. Lovers he had cheated on or who cheated on him. Long days spent living in the Sohma estate; gazing up at the surrounding walls and wondering what it was like to live outside of them, free from the eyes of the family. The family whose eyes were always watching him, waiting for the chance when he would slip their expectations of him.

It had happened once, once many years ago... the darkness blending seamlessly into the memory of a room, sealed from light. Behind a door, down one of the long hallways of the house had grown up in. A room he hated had never stopped hating.

It was a cold room... dark and cold. Even in his dream of memory, Ayame was unable to free himself from the feeling that permeated his tiny body all of sixteen years ago. Why his subconscious mind had allowed this memory to linger he did not know, but try as he might he was unable to writhe from it's grasp. He didn't want to see it again. He didn't want to be reminded...

"He cannot be trusted around the baby!" A woman's voice accused from outside the locked door. That child... that snake! We must have been fooling ourselves, to even think that he could be. We should have known better then to have taken chances with Yuki; a child of the rat..."

The ten-year-old Ayame inched up from his kneeled position beside the door, trying to peer out into the hallway beyond. Through the keyhole he caught glimpses of people moving past, a group of women fussing over a tightly wrapped bundle held in the arms of a man.

The baby within the bundle none other then his brother Yuki; the newest addition to the Sohma clan.

"Is it true that he dropped him?" Another woman asked, her eyes raking scathingly over the door as though trying to spy the cowering youth beyond. "It's strange though, whatever the case. The rat and the snake, born of the same mother? Peculiar. I would highly doubt the likeliness of the brothers to ever be close."

"Still... I'm sure Yuki will do us all very proud!" The Man declared cheerfully, running his hand over the crown of the baby's head. "I can't say just how happy his mother and I am; that we've been blessed with a child of the rat! He's bound to be as special as those who came before him. Even if Ayame is not."

Perhaps it had been those words that had really been the coldness he had felt that day. Locked in that room, watching the family he loved through the space of a rusty keyhole, as they celebrated the birth of his baby brother. He'd already been forgotten about so quickly.

He hadn't dropped Yuki on purpose; that had been an accident. But he had been locked away as punishment into the coldest room of the house, one that was prone to drafts, despite all his protests. He was not to be let out until dinnertime, six hours away.

Ayame felt cold jealousy rage in his gut, jealousy at the tiny infant he had only ever held once. The infant named Yuki Sohma, who now took up all his parents time and attention. A solitary yellow eye glistened through the keyhole, moist with tears before retreating back into darkness. As quickly as it had come, the feelings of envy evaporated and now more then anything, it was loneliness he felt. Was this how it was going to be from this day forth? Living in the smaller shadow of his wonderful baby brother, simply because he was the rat? Why should it have to be that way? Why-

Ayame sneezed, the sound echoing around the tiny room. It was so cold in there and his bare feet were freezing. What made it so much worse, was that the cold was enough to make him uncomfortable, but not enough to make him transform. He pulled his robes around his body, tucking his arms into the luxurious length of the sleeves trying to restore the feeling into his hands. He wanted to be warm.

"Aya?"

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"Aya? Are you all right?"

Ayame jumped at the sound of Shigure's voice and smiled back at him reassuringly. He had been procrastinating again, losing himself to the insistent train of his thoughts as he once had many months before. That memory was so vivid... it haunted his mind in a way that no other memory ever had. As such, the more he tried to focus on it, the more it successfully eluded his grasp, slipping away into the farthest recess of his mind like shadows into the night.

Shigure's concerned brown eyes sought out Ayame's and he reached over to lightly touch his arm. "Is your head starting to hurt again? Wanna take a break?"

Truth be it, Ayame's head did ache but it was not from the throb of the abrasion to his skull. It ached from something else... something much better concealed, that sought to suppress his thoughts. He winced at the sudden throbbing pain and pinched the bridge of his nose as though this might somehow help.

"No, it's fine Gure..." He said, forcing a wide grin onto his face. "I was just... thinking about something that happened a long time ago. You know, nothing important!"

Shigure bit his lip as though he wished to further press the issue but Ayame was having none of it. With an audacious smile, he waved his finger in the dog's face and suddenly took off at a sprint along the path, urging him to follow. This game seemed sort of childish to the author, but he indulged his lover's wishes and pursued him through the trees, their laughter ringing out amongst the patchwork of light that remained across the ground.

The air was still marginally warm as the pair made their way back to Shigure's house and the sun was taking it's sweet time setting, so the walk was marginally enjoyable. Despite the injuries to his head and face Ayame seemed to have regained some of his usual gusto and was trotting along the worn woodland path energetically, encouraging Shigure to keep pace.

"Slowpoke!" He teased, pinching the inu's cheek as he rounded a corner behind him. "You need to get out and exercise some more, Gure! Heaven's above you are most unfit! You keep up all this couch potato behaviour and you're not going to be able to fit into that cute little school girls outfit I have on order for you!"

The novelist pulled his face into what he hoped passed as being suitably aghast and posed as sexily as he could, hands on hips and chest thrust out.

"Oh Aya! How could you say such a thing!" He cried, slapping his backside deftly. "What with my manly curves, chiseled abs and these spectacular buns of steel, there is nothing in your shop that I would not be able to fit into! I am hurt by the mere suggestion!"

Ayame hung his head. "I'm sorry Shigure. How will I ever make it up to you? Should you punish me?" He sounded just a tad too eager at this.

Shigure apparently thought the same thing. "Well... we'll just see later. Back in the comfort of my room and it's four walls. Though I suppose that wall's in my house don't really constitute for much..."

"They _are_ quite the luxury Shiggy." Ayame said sagely, reaching down to tentatively take his lover's hand. When Shigure didn't pull away, he only then proceeded to link his fingers through his. "With the exception of our strangely blanked out crash Gure, I thoroughly enjoyed our happy picnic! What about you? Was the food to your tastes?"

Shigure looked over at his silver haired lover and smiled warmly, giving his hand an extra affectionate squeeze. "_Everything _was to my tastes." He said, causing Ayame's face to break out into a wide smile. It really was so adorable how this man put so much stock on Shigure's opinions. It seemed that in everything he did, he did so with the only thought in mind of making Shigure happy. It had only really become noticeable to him in the past two months, the time they had spent together as a couple. From things such as broken doors, to even cutting his hair. Ayame now leapt to the challenge, straining to be of some assistance in whatever task Shigure needed done. It was adorable, really.

"You really liked everything?" Ayame asked and let out a deep sigh of relief. "Well, I mean, of course you liked everything! I worked hard to make that food you know and such diligent effort should always be rewarded by the most absolute gratitude and praise! But – I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little worried about your reaction, Shiggy. After all – you've been eating Tohru's cooking for so long that anything after that would only be a let down and-"

Shigure silenced him with a kiss. "Ayame – I enjoyed lunch very much." He said, laughing at his friend's stunned expression. The tailor sighed and placed his hands on the center of Shigure's chest, rubbing the subtle curves of the shirt gently.

"I love it when you kiss me like that..." He crooned, pressing the bridge of his nose to Shigure's cheek. The novelist grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Aya... you like it when I kiss you any old way."

"Hmm... good point."

Ayame sank his lips against the thinner, yet delectable ones of his companion, hungrily clutching the side of his face with his hand as he felt the other man's arms go around him. Dear God he was so in love right now... he loved Shigure so much it was almost embarrassing and even the most humiliating aspect of his compassion he would not have been able to flaunt enough. Kissing him now, Ayame felt like he just couldn't touch enough of him at once to satisfy his desire. He cupped Shigure's lips roughly between his own sucking on them and fetching his tongue around the upper ridge of his mouth. His free hand looped up around the novelist's back and clutched at the broad indent between his shoulders. Soon Ayame felt himself stretching up on the tips of his toes as the elevation of their passion threatened to tip the two of them over. He desperately lapped at Shigure's lips even as the other man broke the kiss, panting heavily, his face flushed.

"Ayame... what was that all about...?" He chuckled, softly stroking his friends' heaving back. Ayame brushed their lips together once more, wishing there were some way he could bury himself between those two pink pillars and never resurface. Kissing Shigure was as addictive as any drug that could ever have been made. The dependency he had on his touch and his taste didn't seem natural but it made him feel good. It made him feel alive.

Ayame smiled and flicked Shigure's nose. "I was under the impression that you were reason enough, Shigure..." He said seductively, trailing his hands down to the inu's waist at the same time. There had once been a point in his life in which Ayame had never considered the possibility that Shigure would one day be his and his alone. This was a decadent luxury of which he admittedly loved to indulge in as selfishly as he was able. And yet, Ayame was aware that he wasn't alone in his love for the dark haired dog of the zodiac. That was very clear. In some ways Akito's pining for Shigure reminded Ayame of himself those many months ago. He could understand the loss Akito must have been feeling, the futility that his desire had come to, the utter hopelessness of it all. And this frightened Ayame. Frightened him that he could understand how the mind of someone like Akito worked and yet he could not make neither heads nor tails of his little brother's behaviour. The one whom he wanted to forge a bond with. It was most irritating.

__

'Oh God, Shigure...' He thought as he tightened his arms around the other man's neck. _'You're the only thing that makes sense to me right now... ... you and my shop that is. Everything else is just utterly ridiculous!'_

He pulled away from his lover abruptly, clenching his eyes shut as a sharp pain seared from beyond them. The sudden spasm of discomfort brought with it a jarring decent of deleted memory and he clutched his face, expressing the agony in a low moan. Shigure pulled him close by the elbows and placed a hand over the crown of his head, nursing the injury. His expression was a downward arrow of empathy.

"We should have stayed at the Main House," He reasoned, stroking Ayame's back with his free hand. "I'm sorry, baby. I shouldn't have let you walk all the way back to my place. Not like this."

"It's not that, Gure –" The snake insisted, rubbing at his forehead as though this might placate his plunging thoughts. He could feel the memories returning to him, as vivid and authentic as they had been since he'd chosen to forget them. The memories of his childhood, the one he'd managed to leave behind him. And the reason why he had done so... the darkness of the Punishment room... the cold impenetrable void of nothingness. It was there in his mind... locked in the deepest darkest recess he had been able to squeeze it into. Buried in the blackness that was as despicable as itself.

__

The light from the keyhole illuminated the thick red lining on the Punishment Room floor. Ayame brushed over it with his fingers, trying to see whether the substance with which it had been drawn would come off on his hand. It felt sticky. It stained his fingertips.

Why did the room smell so much like blood?

The boy scuttled back against the wall, holding his head in his hands, trying to keep his terror at bay. In fear, it was as though the very substance of his memories could be forced from his mind if he wished it hard enough.

Then the words came to him; the words the woman had sung so long ago. The song of the night, of Dark Adaptation. In the indiscernible darkness, would he ever come to adjust, to see the scarlet symbol beneath his feet?

"_In the smothering blanket of night, this misty blue light_

The dark makes no sense; I can't see your face

Changing your features, become one of us

Loose yourself...

The beautiful skull in the sky

Leering down at us

Breathing down our necks

Chewing –knawing on our souls

Giving me heart burns of anxiety and sorrow

Watching the world

Teeter on the brink

Of total annihilation

Where is your god now?

Because once it's over, I can't breathe anymore

Won't live anymore

This can't go on anymore

It has to end with us

Where are they now, the one's who said they care?

The one's who vowed to drag you through this life

Kicking and screaming

They've gone, their tears mingling with the salt underground

To form this ocean, where I can't swim

What right do they have to decide who will consume

What is left of this hell?

We live in a broken world

With shattered hearts

Discoveries from the past, intentions left to fester

And a hand colored scarlet, bathing in your wounds

Take the clock and spin it sideways

Decide now all of you

Whose side are you on?"

- -

"I'm just trying to remember..." Ayame murmured tapping his fingers against Shigure's chest. "When I was only a boy. Back to those days they locked me within the Punishment Room. You remember, Gure?"

The inu's lip curled dangerously. "It's hard to forget such cruelty."

Ayame nodded solemnly. "Shigure... you knew about the Punishment Room... and you came to see me whenever I was locked inside. But, I don't think you ever really understood how horrible that room was. Locked away from light, from human contact. It was... suffocating." He swallowed dryly and tried to hold back tears. "Half the time, I didn't understand why they would lock me in there. What I had done to deserve something so horrible. And what happened to me in that room... I forced it out of my memory. I tried to forget, lest the horror be burnt into my mind for an eternity."

By now Shigure had grown uneasy. His usually cheerful friend sounded so grim and serious, which was far outside his usual range. It made Shigure uncomfortable and the security the pair of them usually maintained in their witty hi-jinks was one of the only things that kept him grounded within the dreary Sohma family. He had been thinking that only earlier this day. What had gone so drastically wrong?

"What happened to you Ayame?" He asked in some apprehension.

The snake's eyes were hollow, his bottom lip pressed tightly between his upper row of teeth. There was something that can only be described as concealed horror, reflected in his eyes.

"I saw them..." He whispered.

The bonds tightened around his wrists, pulling his arms back hard against the bounds of their sockets, tearing into his delicate skin. Ayame bit his lip, hard enough to draw blood as his head smacked into the wall behind him. The dark figure's circled him; hand's clasped to one another's as they sang something in thick rapid Japanese. Their eyes obscured beneath layers of thick black hair gave him no indication of their emotions nor their intentions. As cold as robots and just as calculating these people whispered their dark words, circling him... always circling hour after hour. Four similar robed figures stood to each side of the wall Ayame was tied to, hands clasped around a thick length of rope. They too chanted and at the end of every verse, they drew those ropes tighter and tied them off. The ropes were anchored to Ayame's wrists, his ankles and his neck. The force from each tug smashed his head back against the wall, drew his limbs to the edge of their limits until at last, the bones would pop, the skin would tear, and he would die.

Torn to pieces.

"Saw who, Aya? 'Them' who?"

"I don't know what they were Shigure..." Ayame whimpered, his eyes seemingly focused on something just beyond his shoulder. Something he gazed at in rigid horror, something painted against his memories. "They just... _were._"

Out of the shadows another figure materialized, a white light glowing from beneath it's hood where a person's face would normally be. Its breath stank of death and its voice rang from within its chest like glass scraped against the expanse of a chalkboard. Ayame shuddered against his bounds; blood mingled with sweat and saliva as its voice reached his ears and clawed right within them.

"I see things that other people don't see Gure. I think Akito see's them too..."

"See's what?"

Ayame's whole body was shuddering at this point as the memories rushed back in merciless torrents. When he had been corrupted by his fever, the night before he and Shigure became lover's, he had dreamt of the lost memory. The memory of a premonition he had when he had been a child. It was there now, in his mind. More clear than ever before.

__

"You are ours to kill Ayame Sohma..." It hissed as the robed figure's tugged mercilessly on those ropes again. "In our darkness, you are ours to kill... scream and create our music. Bleed and quench our thirst. Die... and give us life..."

As it said this, two clawed hands extended from the sleeves of its robes and gripped the hem of its hood pulling it back. Light flooded forth from that black space and then Ayame did scream. And what music it was... what music it was...

Ayame's body gave a final, withering shudder in Shigure's arms as he pushed the memories back. He didn't want to see anymore. _Couldn't_ see anymore. In the inescapable fear that his mind imposed upon him, Ayame found his eternal sanctuary in Shigure's embrace, leaning his head against his and pressing the length of their bodies together. In all manners of nightmares and memories, it had always been Shigure and Shigure alone that had been able to comfort him. To save him in a manner of speaking.

"Did I ever tell you the story about the snake wife, Shigure?" He asked suddenly.

The inu shook his head and Ayame took this as an invitation to extend further.

"It's basically a story my mother would tell me to forego falling asleep in just any old place. I can assure you, it certainly did the trick! The story goes that once upon a time there was a monk who was in service of a High Priest. He was a normal man; proud and hardworking. He had a wonderful wife and many vivacious children that looked up to, and admired him.

On one summer's afternoon, the monk accompanied his master to the Mii temple. Whilst the High Priest went about his rituals, dallying around in the mirrors and water of the temple, the monk himself grew a bit sleepy, just standing around in the sun. It was a hot day after all, Gure; you know how it is! Anyway, the monk decided that he would take a nap whilst he waited for his master to finish his priestly business and so he settled down in a concealed corner of the temple hallway and fell asleep. He had a dream that a striking woman visited him whom seduced and made love to him. The sensation of the dream was so wild and intense that the monk climaxed in his sleep. Do you know what he found when he awoke, Gure?"

"That he had a Hell of a lot of washing to do?"

Ayame laughed. "Well... yes! But that's not what drew his attention right away! When he awoke, the monk was startled to find a rather large snake lying by his side-"

"I am not liking the direction this story is taking..."

"The man's clothes were soaked in his own... well, you know, but what surprised the man most was that the snake was lying belly up with it's mouth wide open! Imagine that! More to the monk's shock, he found that the snake had his semen in his mouth. The visage of the beautiful maiden had been nothing more than a snake and he had made love to it in his sleep, causing the poor serpent to choke and die. How sad!

The man was afraid that he had killed off some sort of ancient snake goddess, so he secretly washed himself in the temple water and never told another living soul as long as he lived. Nothing more come of this bizarre encounter but until this day, I am very cautious about where I park my fanny before I doze off!"

There was a long silence.

Shigure finally blinked and twisted his mouth out of the wide gaping grimace it had been set into.

"Aya...?"

"Mmm-hmm?"

"Did that story have... _any _relevant point to – well - _anything_ at all?!"

Ayame smiled and shrugged. "Maybe! Maybe not. I was just trying to change this dreary depressive mood that was hanging so adamantly above our heads!" He waved a hand in the air as though to indicate where the malevolent cloud of depression once may have been. "Actually the idea of the story was to show the snake's nature for what it could be at its most negative. It was supposed to dissuade me from becoming a cock-sucking whore I suppose. See Gure? Bad thing's happen to slut's like me!"

Shigure's eye's saddened and he shook his head. "Don't say things like that Aya. I won't ever let you choke and die on my semen!" He mentally went over what he just said and slapped a hand against his forehead. "Only you could make me say something like that without having any purposefully dirty intentions."

Ayame smiled a little sadly and placed a hand against Shigure's cheek, meeting his eyes.

"Sweetheart..." He said. "You know how they all look down on me in the Main House. Next to Lucky Kyou, I'm the most despised member of those that are cursed. That story was told to me over and over again, to remind me just what it was I could never become. Something sexual. All I ever wanted was to be with you and that was the sin that drove them to despise me, to drive me out. I was taught that my passion for another man would be my undoing. That story used to scare me so much. They painted it on the walls of the Punishment Room and even in the darkness, I could not ignore the implications of what was to be if I was to ever shake free of those constrictions they placed on me. Should I have let them Shigure, they would have caged me the way they tried to cage Yuki." He hung his head in guilt, his long hair swaying in the breeze. "That was part of the reason I turned Yuki away all those years ago. Why I was so cruel to him. When I was finally free of their teachings and condemnations, they drew my brother into the web. And when he reached out for me, in that very second... I felt as though he would draw me back into it. I hate myself for that! That stupidity! That very same cowardice I still have today in such abundance! The thought of Yuki suffering more than I did, it is the greatest shame of my life Gure. My greatest punishment is to live with the guilt of knowing that I gave him up to the life that I had been unable to handle myself! I'm the worst person I've ever known and I hate myself for it!"

By now he was on the brink of tears and Shigure wrapped him up, whispering soothing words that had no real name or meaning. The novelist had never seen the true reach of his friend's self-loathing, the anger he internally hid under a mass of over compensating confidence. Half the things he had just admitted, he had never even known about and Shigure had known him his whole life. This bothered him. That and the disturbing words Ayame had been speaking only moments before.

He wondered if his lover was going insane. If the nightmares had tainted his mind and thrown it into disarray. One thing was for sure; Ayame was becoming something that was nothing like the person he used to be. His sorrow was escalating to a level that was deeply brutal and unforgiving and Shigure had to wonder just how long _he _would be able to deal with it.

And what really hurt was that this inertia only appeared after the two of them had come together. Wasn't this a time to be happy?

Shigure felt Ayame stiffen in his arms and draw back from him a little. He wondered whether the tailor was having head pains again, when he noticed that the silver haired man's eyes were focused on the patch of woods behind him. Shigure took the hint and turned.

A man was standing there watching them. At least, Shigure supposed that it was a man. It was a little hard to tell under all those layers of earthy brown robes he was wrapped in. The figure was at least six feet tall with the robes' hood pulled low over his brow, obscuring his eyes and most of his long rust colored bangs. The visible mouth was drawn into a slightly mocking smile, as though he found something about the situation privately amusing. Ayame grasped Shigure's hand firmly and gave it a gentle tug.

"Let's go Gure." He urged, giving the stranger a timid, fleeting look. He waved cheerfully as the pair continued on their way, walking briskly in that stereotypical 'Obscure-man-possibly-stalker-on-my-tail-and-I-don't-have-my-pepper-spray' sort of fashion. Their pace only increased when they heard the man step onto the path behind them and follow at a leisurely walk.

"Shigure... he's going to rape me..." Ayame whimpered, tears streaming down his face. "Why, oh why didn't I take up that Meu-Tai class when Mine signed up for it last month?"

"One month of Meu-tai is not going to make you all that threatening, Aya." The inu chuckled, though he too was obviously concerned by the figure tailing them. "Just act like you don't notice and maybe he'll back off. Or better yet, talk louder so that he'll realize you're a man!"

He got kicked in the shin for his troubles.

A medium range, accented voice from behind them made both men pause in their actions.

"Akito, I was wondering if I might have a moment of your time?" The stranger said.

Ayame looked around, wondering whether Akito had followed them into the woods unbeknown to his and Shigure's knowledge. When his search failed to bring up even the smallest glimpse of the dark haired family master, he considered that the scary stalker must have been addressing _them_. Ayame turned his head slightly over his shoulder and frowned.

"You've got us mistaken for someone else, sir. Neither one of us is Akito. And I'm deeply insulted that you didn't recognize me for who I was immediately." He said tartly, putting his hands on his hips.

"Uh – I hate to be the one to point out that you are not exactly an international celebrity, Aya." Shigure piped up, sweatdropping. "And for that matter, didn't your mother ever tell you not to talk to strangers? You could be kidnapped!"

"That's what my mother was hoping." Ayame confirmed with a good-hearted chuckle. He turned to face the stranger. "You can find Akito at the Sohma Main House. Just head up that path there and you should come across it in no time. I'd love to do my civil duty and escort you there myself, but I'm afraid I have a splitting headache and the impending prospect of a back massage, so I'm sure you'll understand if we part company here and now!"

Ayame concluded this with a nervous chuckle and grabbed Shigure's hand, whispering quickly into his ear. "Run away before he hits us over the head with a broken bottle and drags us into a ditch!"

"I don't think that's quite what's going to hap-" Shigure started to say, but the rest of the sentence was yanked back into his throat as Ayame tugged him ruthlessly around the next corner. Satisfied that he had lost their potential rapist, Ayame turned to go on his way when he came face to face with the cloaked man himself who had somehow materialized in the path ahead of them. He uttered a shrill cry of shock and jumped back with what he felt was admirable agility.

The man slowly shook his head. "I don't wish to speak to the family master. I wish to speak to _you_, Akito."

"How did you -?!"

"Just one moment. Is that too much to ask?"

Ayame took a deep breath and tried to make himself appear intimidating and masculine. Well, as masculine as you could look with long beautiful hair and a purple kimono with thigh high splits. He put his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow scrupulously.

"I don't know what you're getting at sir, but I'm not Akito. That's the family master's name. _My _name's Ayame. I run a clothes shop of the same name. Perhaps you've heard of it? I design specially made garments that bring men's fantasies to life! I have a brochure if you'd like to take a look for yourself?"

"Now's not the time for a sale's pitch, Aya." Shigure said nervously.

The platinum haired man nodded in agreement. "Quite right Shigure. Quite right. Now – if you wish to speak to Akito, you can find him in _that_ direction." He extended his finger along the path from which they came. "_I _however, am going home in _that _direction." Finger now pointing in the direction of Shigure's house. "And if you don't mind, you are currently standing between me and my destination. So, if I have succeeded in making myself perfectly clear, me and my faithful companion, would very much like to continue on our way. If you would kindly step aside?"

The stranger took a long step forward. "If you would allow me just a minute to explain-"

By this point Shigure had grown aggravated. It usually took a lot to wind him up and this man was doing just that. Ayame didn't need this sort of shit when he was feeling as bad as he was! With a protective growl, Shigure reached out and pulled Ayame back, putting his own body between his lover and the stranger.

"Look mister, he doesn't want to speak to you. And if you continue to harass us, I'll have you reported!" He threatened. Ayame quivered in boyish glee, wondering why being intimidating and masculine came so easily to Shigure. Must be an uke thing.

The stranger seemed amused. "Oh...? Will you just?" He took another step forward. "To whom I ask might you report me? A chipmunk? A passing bird? It may just have evaded your notice, _Shigure_ but we're in the middle of the woods. Ain't no one here but the three of us."

Ayame could sense the malignant undertones in that peculiar voice and decided that enough was enough.

"Shigure be careful." He whispered, taking the inu's arm and glaring at the robed man reproachfully. "Mister, we'll be on our way. If you wish to talk to me, I suggest making a call to my shop or house, like a normal person."

With that being said, Ayame plucked up his courage and plunged roughly past the stranger, pulling Shigure with him. They walked brusquely toward Shigure's house, keeping as close to one another as was possible. It was not as thought both men together were not a suitable match for the robed one, but they had to take into consideration that you couldn't just jump to conclusions and start beating innocent (yet creepy) bystanders over the head with a tree branch. That sort of thing could get you sued. Also, the man was considerably taller than the both of them. It would have been an ugly confrontation at best.

After a minute or so, Ayame conceded to the fact that the stranger was not going to go away. He was traipsing along behind them like some adamant horny fanboy and whilst Ayame could not blame him if he was merely scoping out their rather adorable asses, he did not approve of the man's threatening manner. Not in the slightest. What if he followed them home and crawled into Tohru's room late at night? Or even worse; Yuki's! He wasn't particularly worried about Kyou; he'd seen how capable the boy was at dealing with unwanted bed guests.

But still, enough was enough! Ayame wasn't a temperamental person by nature, but when he became agitated enough, there was something truly snake about him.

You piss off a snake and they bite you.

Ayame lost his temper.

"What's your problem?!" He yelled, spinning around and violently yanking his arm free of Shigure. The inu almost fell on his butt in shock. "Didn't I make it clear that I'm not interested in talking to you?! Take a hint! And stop staring at my ass, I could feel you practically burning holes through it."

Whilst Shigure struggled to regain his composure, the stranger seemed less intimidated by the snake's sudden outburst. He paused and gathered his thoughts; thumb set on his chin.

"This is more important than what you may or may not be interested in, Akito. And just for the record, I wasn't staring at your ass _that _hard."

Ayame ignored the last comment. "God dammit, you're mistaken! I told you – my name is Ayame! Akito is _the family master. _How many times do I have to say it before it sinks in?!"

The stranger was firm. "I am not mistaken. But – if it will make you feel better, I will call you Ayame as you wish." He raised his hands gently, in a gesture that implied Ayame was to relax. "I don't mean to alarm you but –"

"Oh we're way past that point mister." The tailor said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Please..." The man was persuasive; he gave him that much. "Just allow me a few minutes to explain. I promise it will be worth your time."

"My time is valuable." Ayame said pompously. "People pay good money for my time. And I highly doubt some _fascinating _yarn about an age-old end of the world prophecy is worth a few extra minutes of back rub. So if you don't mind, you can find some other delusional suckers to join your campaign to gather followers but as for me, I'm going home to my massage. Come on Shigure, let's go."

The inu nodded in repressed awe at his friend's suddenly much more aggressive attitude and allowed himself to be lead away meekly by the hand. The stranger's voice rose in tempo.

"Akito!" He cried.

"I'm going to scream!" Ayame threatened, just a little over the borderline of being marginally frustrated. He was wasting time better spent on bonding with Yuki, tormenting Kyou, flirting with Tohru and ... well... everything else he could be doing with Shigure. The robed man curled his lip.

"If you scream, who exactly is going to hear?" He wondered.

"Do you really want to take the chance that someone will?" Shigure asked, facing him.

The strange man sighed irritably. "I cannot stress how important it is that you hear me out." He sighed heavily, as though weighed down by some great pressure. "You're just as stubborn as she was..." The last part was barely audible.

Ayame was annoyed. He realized that he was not going to easily evade this conversation and thus decided that the only alternative was to end it as quickly as possible. That and... he was now strangely intrigued. The man didn't _seem _that threatening. Maybe he'd humor him for a while longer.

"She' who? What are you talking about?" He invited.

The stranger seemed surprised at Ayame's ignorance. He visibly straightened. "You mean to say you don't know?" He paused as though waiting for Ayame to correct himself. "_Seriously?_"

"Know what?" Ayame ventured, sounding quite peevish at this point. Damn, he was sacrificing a back rub for this shit

"About Arata." This was obviously supposed to mean something to Ayame and the robed man appeared shocked when the expression of understanding failed to dawn on the snake's face. He stumbled for words, a heightened anger circulating from within him. "The way's in which I could describe that witch! It's not polite for civil company... particularly not for yours I might add."

Ayame was confused. "Uh... why should I care? I don't have much to do with the Main House. It's not as though Arata and I are close, you know?"

"Unfortunate. Considering that she is your mother and all."

The tailor visibly drew back from the stranger, his eyes widening in disbelief. He felt the sudden burgeoning desire to either laugh or choke on his own breath, and neither came. He found all he could do was stare.

"What?!" He gasped.

The stranger sighed as though something he disapproved of had come to past. He seemed ironically disgusted. "They... didn't tell you." He concluded, shaking his head. "I would have thought they'd at least tell you the truth before now. Figures... your parents have always been like that when it came to you. Not so much for your intemperate little rat of a brother-"

Ayame advanced angrily, his fist clenched. "You stop right there!"

The stranger lightly raised both hands to show he meant no offense. "Okay." He said casually and started nonchalantly pacing back and forth across the path. Shigure moved to Ayame's side and gently cupped his fist between his hands, pulled it down to his side. "Your parent's really didn't tell you anything?"

Ayame groaned and waved his free hand about despondently. "Anything about _what_?! I don't know what you're talking about."

"Well your past, of course." The robed one said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "The past fragmented by darkness and lonely days spent locked within that room you despise with all your heart." He pointed a finger at him. "The room of the scarlet symbol, the stain that you were never able to see. The Punishment Room."

"I'm more than aware of my past, thankyou very much." Ayame snapped a little more harshly then he intended. The stranger shook his head.

"Not the true past. The past surrounding your birth and... the reason you see what it is you see in your dreams."

Ayame felt it. Felt his own eyes slant down to the thinnest sliver of green, within his pupil. Though nothing physically changed about him, he could have sworn that everything suddenly grew darker, that the clouds whipped across the sky like busy Tokyo traffic. As though the season's turned in a matter of seconds.

As though he became a different person altogether.

"It is the beginning that you are witnessing." The stranger continued. "And you witness furthermore of that which is to come. Do you wonder why it is that you cannot go one night without these nightmares invading your sleep?"

Ayame's voice quivered in the sheathe of a whisper. A barely inaudible shine over the confusion he couldn't wrench himself from.

"How do you know that?" He asked, swallowing heavily. " – Who are you?"

The strange man ignored his question, intent on finishing his overly pretentious speech of cryptic foreshadowing.

"It was foretold since the moment of your birth. Though you are not the one whom was fated to endure the full weight of the zodiac curse – nevertheless, the curse has touched you, because you were allowed to live."

Shigure frowned. "Allowed to ... – to live?" He clenched his teeth and made a threatening fist at the stranger. "What in God's name does that mean? What nonsense are you spewing? 'Allowed to live' – what the fuck?!"

"You don't understand." The stranger said solemnly.

"I don't wanna freakin' understand, you psychopath! Now listen – you know about our curse... I want a name. Why has an outsider been allowed to keep our secrets?"

The 'outsider' examined his nails. "Your temper bores me. And for the record, this '_outsider'_ has had more of a hand in this family, then you'll ever know, sonny. I kept its secrets, because few alone knew that I had learnt the secrets in the first place. Your mother for one." He said pointing at Ayame.

"I don't understand you!" The snake whined.

Shigure saw how upset his lover was getting and gently pulled him back, glaring daggers into the robed one. "You son of a bitch. Give me your name!"

There was a moment's hesitation and then the stranger dutifully raised his arms. "Englebird Humperdink the 3rd. You might want to remember that."

The two men stared and raised their eyebrows in comical unison. Shigure scratched his head.

"I... didn't get a word of that." He mumbled.

"Is that a real name?" Ayame asked innocently. Shigure battered him on top of the head.

"No, you daft fool! It's obviously not his real name! Who would have a name like Englebird Humperdink?! – Unless of course it was one of your alternate identities in school that is..."

The stranger chuckled silently into his hand. "Oh, find a sense of humor boys honestly. Of _course _that's not my real name. It's an alias. Quite a good one at that too, wouldn't you say?" He leaned toward them cockily, placing his hand on his hip and leering with what was visible of his face. "Do you really think that I'm stupid enough to give you my _real _name? Please... if anything, have some respect for me, beyond the expectation that I retain a 2nd grade primary school wit."

Ayame ignored him. "What do you know about these dreams I'm having?" He frowned and took a step forward, much to Shigure's discomfort. "How could you possibly know? The only people who have heard about them are Shigure and Hatori."

"Don't ask me how I know." The stranger baited playfully.

Ayame bit. "Why?"

"It's... complicated."

"Complicated..." Ayame mused. "What – bullshit! You expect me to waste my valuable back massage time here when you can't even give me a straight answer?"

"Temper, temper." The stranger scolded, waving a finger. "Believe me, I know how surreal this all must seem. But right now, I need you to have just a little bit of faith."

"And why should I believe a word you tell me?" Ayame said snidely.

The robed man contemplated this for a moment and eventually came to the sound resolution of disinterest. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I cannot give you a reason to believe me." He admitted. "All I can tell you is that it is very important that you heed my words. I've been looking into the suspicious circumstances of the Sohma family. My discoveries have led me to adopt the secondary assignment of researching your past."

This was intriguing, though Ayame did his best not to seem too interested.

"Why mine in particular?" He asked, clapping his hands together in girlish glee. "To be honest, I'm a bit of a nobody in the Sohma clan, so I don't see why you would need to."

"You're not a nobody, Ayame." The man said, almost laughing in irony. "Don't you understand yet? Why they all look down their noses at you? Why they locked you in that darkness for hours at a time? See? They didn't disrespect you. They _feared _you. Feared your potential, what was inside of you that could _be _if you had only been allowed to open yourself up to it. That would awaken should their control over you slip. They ground you down – to keep you theirs. '_My-"_

" – coils tighten and keep you my own." Ayame intervened, completing the quote. The stranger smiled a little savagely.

"Yes."

Ayame could not explain where he had plucked the memory of that. When he had heard the stranger speak the first word, the rest of it just seemed to spring to life within him. He thought back to the song that had come into his mind only minutes earlier, wishing he could rationalize just where it was that he had learnt such sorrowful words.

__

"With shattered hearts

Discoveries from the past, intentions left to fester

And a hand colored scarlet, bathing in your wounds"

Ayame felt water in his eyes and bit his lip, looking sidelong to the ground. His confusion was so great he felt physically ill.

"I don't get it..." He whispered. "None of this makes any sense. Tell me more! If you can help me to understand this, then please share with me what you know!"

The stranger seemed to be enjoying Ayame's turmoil in some darker sense. His pouty lips turned upward into the flicker of a cruel smile.

"You're not ready." He practically sang.

Ayame felt the sudden desire to ram his fist through that mocking face. To shatter it. He fought back his emotions, ashamed at the anger he could feel burning within his soul. It frightened him that he could get so infuriated.

"Who are you to judge that?!" He exclaimed to the stranger's turning back. The weirdo was walking into the woods, waving a hand casually over his shoulder as though nothing out of the ordinary was occurring. As if he were simply bidding two old friend's goodbye.

"If you were ready... you would not need me to tell you." The voice came, straying behind the emptiness where the stranger had only stood moments before.

"Wait!" Ayame yelled and was about the follow him when a sudden high-pitched rattling sound began to reverberate within his skull. It sounded like an entire orchestra of cicada's had taken up residence between his ears and each one was rubbing their legs together as hard as they were able. The pain was excruciating. It seemed to split his head in two. Ayame moaned and clutched his face, staggering onto his knees, as the agony became too much to handle. Little sobs leaked from between his lips.

"Aya?!" Shigure sounded really scared. He was leaning down, clutching Ayame's upper arm and trying to see into his tormented face. "Aya, what's wrong?!"

Above the cruel rattling intent on piercing through his skull at every angle, Ayame was able to lift his head to Shigure, only to have his vision blur and fade in and out. He groaned as the evening glow surmounting the woods, began to inexplicably fade in and out of a midnight oil blue and back again, into the ailing light. He thought he could hear someone screaming... calling someone's name. But no matter how hard he tried to focus on the voice, it refused to be found in the abnormal transition of the woods. Ayame grimaced and blinked back tears as the rattling noises mercifully began to fade away. Before it disappeared completely, he had a sudden flash into the oil blue realm – whatever it was.

He saw... the scarlet symbol. It was painted to the side of a tree, carved within the ridges of the wood. A circle, with a 14 point star in the center. And at each point, an animal of the Chinese Zodiac; including the estranged cat.

But there were 14.

There was one more... one he didn't recognize.

What _was_ that?

"_Aya?_ ...AYA!"

The blue ink faded away at the sound of Shigure's voice and with it the scarlet symbol. Though Ayame was curious about that forth point, he was not sad to see it go. Whimpering at the lingering pain, the snake slowly and carefully climbed to his feet, managing to stand with some assistance from Shigure. He swallowed deeply as bile rose in the back of his throat. Whatever world he had just seen inside of then was thick with the stink of blood. Old blood.

What the Hell was happening to him?

"Aya?" Shigure asked carefully and jumped as the good-natured tailor slammed his foot into a tree trunk. His forehead was creased from the pressure of his anger.

"I don't understand..." He whined and punched the tree again, hoping to alleviate some of his tension. He only managed to scrape the skin off of his knuckles. "I never understand!"

"Ayame..." Shigure's voice was soft and sympathetic. It allured Ayame to his arms once more and the pair embraced, squeezing each other beneath the darkening sky. "Aya, you're trembling... what the Hell's going on? ... Aya?"

"I wanna go home." The snake said, so heartbreakingly pitiful that Shigure wanted to squeeze him more the so tighter. Take me home Shigure... okay?"

Shigure glanced around uncertainly, as though to make sure that the stranger was not still anywhere in the prefecture. When he was certain that they were in the clear, he gave a small nod of affirmation.

"...Yeah, let's go."

**__**

SCENE CHANGE

The tall chestnut haired man leaned his back against the tree and sighed. He knew that he had been taking calculable risks, allowing the Sohma's to see him in the woods but at this point he was beyond caring. He'd spent seven years comatose, lost in the abominable darkness he despised with all his heart, dreaming of the face that would never see him with the same love again. For his sin, he had been shown the worst punishment, the most abominable cruelty of all. To be forgotten. For all those who had ever known and loved him, to forget that he ever even existed. To be extinguished into the cloud of infernal nothingness that was more absolute than death itself. And in that vapor, he had slept for the days, the months and the years, bleeding, trying to heal himself and then being forced back into his cruel placidity again and again. That sleep had been absolute and he could not awaken, not ever. Not unless someone willed him to return.

That time had come.

Even now he could feel the strength returning to his physical configuration, the essence of his withered soul replenishing each tear in his body that the will of his mind had been unable to salve. Slowly, but surely, the person he had once been was coming back.

Seven years he had been willing the astral cord of his consciousness to enter the Sohma grounds, hoping to reassert his presence once more within the hearts of those that sought to drive him out. Until now, his efforts had been futile. Utterly despondent.

Until this day.

The master had seen him. For the first time in seven years the master had seen him, whereupon before those dark eyes had grazed directly through him. The astral cord was a forthright extension of the mind and did not retain the persona of the one whom sent it. Using it whilst deep within a coma was little different from controlling a dream. Things happened outside of your own control. But the chestnut haired one was pleased. Three times he had made contact with the master and through this interaction he had led the boy to discover the chest. And once the clock on the chest ceased ticking... he became something of himself once more.

It was the servant who had set this whole thing in motion. He had found the Archon. And through that accumulation he was able to reach within the house of Sohma and make his influence known. How fortunate. Things were going much better than he had ever hoped.

Now perhaps... he would be able to see him again, with his own eyes, not the hallucinogenic eyes of the astral cord that could barely discern one living mass from a world of gray's, blacks and bloodstains. This physical reanimation gave him back what darkness had stolen from him almost a decade ago. What _they _had stolen.

Oh yes... how he was going to enjoy the bloody satisfaction of that.

But more important was that he go to the boy, the boy whom his destiny was inevitably tied to. It had only been in the time spent apart that he had stopped pretending to himself and openly confessed his desire. The desire to see the boy, to let the boy see him.

The man rested the crown of his head against the tree trunk and closed his still rather sore eyes. It wasn't too much longer now... soon he would be able to stop watching from afar. Soon... he would have that life returned to him. The life they had stolen with no intention of ever giving back.

A branch snapping underfoot disrupted the man's thoughts and he jerked into action. His sai were sheathed in the thin waistband of his cloak and he drew them as he leapt upward and horizontal, sinking one foot against the bark of the tree he had been leaning against. Though it had been some years since he had engaged in physical combat of this magnitude, instinct came through for him when it was most needed and he found it none too difficult to station his weight, observing the sharp gleam of dying sunlight off of his sai blades and swung his other leg up, pushing off from the trunk and swinging himself to face the disturbance. He threw himself forward, his right leg snapping around with the ferocity of a mythical dragon's tail and the sai's points extended. The intruder had other ideas however and met the blades with the two-foot length of steel carried in his right hand, blocking the harsh crescent moon kick with the side of his arm. The chestnut haired man swung his hips to the side and managed to land safely behind the intruder, digging the sai blades into the ground to keep from sliding. Once he was steady, he leapt to his feet and repositioned them defensively before his body, the needle sharp points extending from the space between his middle and ring fingers. The intruder slowly faced him, brown hair rustling in the light wind as he raised the small samurai sword horizontally at face height, gripping the long handle with both hands. There was no hint of an expression on his blandly handsome face, yet something in his eyes spoke volume's about the task he was unwilling to perform.

It was silent for a very long time. Both men waited for either to make the next move and neither did. At long last it was the intruder, who waveringly chose to speak, though it was clear he would have preferred to keep their stance purely impersonal.

" ... Why am I not surprised to find you here?" He said, his voice expressing as much rigidity as his pose. The robed one smiled in a maddeningly calm way. "Playing Peeping Tom are we?"

The chestnut continued to grin and reaffirmed his grip on the sai's handles, lightly shifting his weight on the balls of his feet.

"This coming from one whom gets his jollies by stalking people." He shot back, tossing his head. The hood of his robe continued to obscure the upper half of his face, despite the hasty movements of before. "My, my, my... and I was under the impression that you had... how did they put it again? Agoraphobia? Or is that just another of their half faciled lies?"

"We both know the reason I cannot go into wide open spaces." The other hissed. "I can barely stand being out here as it is. But – there are reason's that I stand here now, as is obvious. Your reflexes are still as good as ever I see, but your aim is poor. You would have broken your foot on my teeth had I allowed it to connect."

"I was aiming for your throat, silly boy."

"Silly boy, hmm? Well – I may be silly, but I still could have sliced through your kneecaps before you even registered my presence. Then you would be at my mercy."

The chestnut was grim. "I have grown accustomed to that humiliation, Kureno. And I will tell you now, that had circumstances been different, you would not have lived to see this day."

Kureno winced at the betrayal he heard in this man's voice but kept his guard up. Though he was certainly the better warrior of the two, the chestnut was impeccable for his ability to sight even the smallest glimmer in loss of self-control. And in so observing, he could cut you in two before you even had a chance to blink. It was best to be disinterested, despite how much it hurt inside.

"It was only fair that your blade cut as deep as I cut your heart." He whispered, drawing up the side of his sweater, revealing the scar on the right side of his abdomen. "I knew you were close when it began to itch this afternoon. And then I felt you draw yourself through the necklace I found."

"Did I frighten you, Ku-Ku-chan?"

"What game do you think you are playing, Bane?" Kureno asked, ignoring the chestnut's subtle jive. "Do you think I've forgotten what you said before they drove you out, just why it was you disappeared into these woods and why you are here now? Give me a break... I'm not as stupid as they are."

"Bane now is it? How impersonal. How appropriate." The one called Bane gave a presumptuous smile and spun the sai about on his fingers; hooking them back within his sheathes all in the one fluid movement. Kureno also holstered his sword after a moment's hesitation. "I assume that you found the tape then? Ah... and that's why you are here now, is it? The Termite Queen herself sent you, to protect the little spider. Loyal faithful Kureno... you are here to stop me, the loyal faithful _Bane _as you so diligently put it, from coming home. That's kind of mean you know. Don't you know I'm homesick?"

"Shut your stinking mouth!" Kureno roared, loosing control. His hand was on the sword handle in a matter of seconds. "_You _were the one that committed the sin and you were punished accordingly for it! Don't sling your tongue blade at me, condemning _my _cruelty! All I ever did was as required. As was my duty!"

"Easy does it Ku-Ku-chan. You don't want to blow a blood vessel."

"Do you have any idea the nightmares I've suffered since that day, knowing what I did?! Knowing the pain that I had caused? Not just you but our little boy too!" There was water in Kureno's eyes and he knew he was letting his guard drop. "Do you have any idea how that felt?! How it feels now, to live with that memory? I didn't _want _to help them but –"

"Bastard. You can bite your tongue right there."

The command effectively silenced Kureno and he took a step back at the furious red glow that seared him from beneath the chestnut's hood. The somewhat good natured personality that had been evident before had evaporated leaving something behind that was purely spiteful and angry. This frightened Kureno. He'd seen it before and seen the reach of its' mercy.

"Don't you even try to inspire sympathy on my behalf, because I couldn't give a damn how much you've suffered in the last seven years. That concern went with my compassion, after you stabbed me in the back." The Bane strode purposefully toward Kureno who pulled quickly to release the Katana. He found his hands crushed beneath the unbelievable strength of the chestnut, who pushed the sword back within it's sheathe and ripped the entire buckle from Kureno's side, tossing it over into a small copse of bushes. The elder lashed out with his left hand, trying to conquer the critical indent that was the temple, but the Bane caught him by the wrist and slammed him back against the trunk of the tree, sliding the entire length of his body up against his.

"That wasn't nice." He scolded, using his other hand to pin Kureno's left wrist to the trunk. "Listen; if you want to hear that I was punished well, then I can tell you with most astute clarity, that I was. The sanctioning imposed upon me for my sin left me alone in a world more cold then the winter of which my heart was suspended. To be forgotten by all those I had ever loved? Yes dear Susumu... I was punished _very _well." He stepped back, allowing his grip on Kureno to fall free. "Is _that _enough? Along with the memory you must retain of my mutilated body when you came to see me in that God forsaken Hell? To make sure that I slept... that the blood, the pus, the welts continued to ooze through the bandages for seven long years? That my tongue was forever struck from my mouth so that I might never raise my voice to tell those that I cared for how much I loved them?" At this he moved closer, leaning down to whisper into the rooster's ear. "Or... is that you just want to hear me say that I don't hate you for punishing me?"

Kureno hung his head. "If your feelings say that you should, then go by it. Although by truth you have no right to make judgements... I didn't want to help them but- ... I searched! As soon as I was well I looked everywhere for you! And when I found you lying in that hospital bed... torn from who you once were- do you know what I would have given to have taken your place? I would have given everything! If not for you, then for Akito!"

The Bane was grim. "Any particular reason?"

"You bastard." Kureno snapped, prodding him in the chest with one finger. "You know perfectly well why. I was with him from the moment he was born and you- only since the death of Tamiko. Yet it was _you _he loved. The elder's couldn't allow such a connection. It was hubris."

"_Human._" The Bane corrected. "Not hubris. Now... why is that you are here right now, Kureno? Do you mean to... kill me? Drive me away again? Or-" He turned and raised an eyebrow, though the expression was quite wasted from within the robe. " – another reason, perhaps?"

"I was sent to observe the grounds." Kureno said, choosing to ignore the capricious intention of the other's words. "After the master saw the tape, the elder's are quite uneasy, at the very least. They sent me because I am the only one whom remembers you that is your match." At this he lowered his head a little. "The other two have forgotten."

"What a waste." The Bane said, not caring. "Now they'll just have to live normal, happy, uneventful lives." He suddenly laughed. "Boy was that a contradiction! This _is _the Sohma family after all..."

Kureno nodded, adhering to the sincerity of the statement and not taking offence. After all... the man _was _technically part of the family. If not by blood then by... other means. He felt suddenly and briefly embarrassed however and wished for the security of the samurai sword that lay nonchalantly in the bushes to his left.

The Bane spoke again, following the lengthy silence. "No more threats to make? Just – 'Piss off and leave us alone?'"

"I would never quite phrase it like that but, in common comparison I must say – yes, that's the basic gist of it." Kureno straightened up as much as he could, trying to compensate his shorter height by making himself appear bold. It was difficult when the person you were trying to intimidate was packing two respectable sai and you were five or so feet away from your own weapon. "I'm going to make this very clear to you, asshole. You should not have woken up. Leave the Sohma family and don't ever come back. And I will make it even more clear to you that should you come within twelve feet of Akito Sohma, I will slice off each and every one of your limbs and tie your corpse to a tree for the beds to feast on." He leaned his face in close. "Do we comprehend that?"

The Bane considered for two seconds and then raised both his hands. "That seemed a little less polite then you were boasting yourself to be, but oh well. Au comprendé, capitaine! Sorry though, can't comply."

"Why the Hell not? Too stupid?"

"How harsh. And no, not too stupid. Just don't feel like listening to a chump like you, who is of less than equal or no importance, trying to boss me around. It goes against my reputation."

"This _chump _happens to be an elder, prick."

The Bane waved a finger. "I understand that you keep swearing at me to compensate for the fear you have of my boundless powers but really – you're starting to cause a rift between us."

Kureno smothered a scream of frustration. "You're still as big a jerk as I remember! After what you went through, I would have thought you'd change a little! Or at least grow up! Apparently I was wrong. Now – would you please just leave us in peace?! Go get a job or something and quite trying to worm your way back into Akito's life!"

His tone was commanding but there was something of a questioning air beneath his words. He wanted the Bane to take the situation as seriously as he was. More so, Kureno wanted an extension on his statement, a confirmation of his intentions or a denial.

The Bane sighed breathily as he picked a few stray leaves from Kureno's hair. The other man knew him too well, knew him well enough to know when he was lusting after someone. After all, he had once looked at him the very same way that he had been staring at Akito's window just moments before.

"I know my destiny. The destiny that Tamiko herself gave me." He sniffed, looking over Kureno's head, back towards the main house. Akito was not at the window but something about that circular framework reminded the Bane of what it was he desperately wanted to see again. Seven years... it was enough to tear his heart into pieces. "Tamiko trusted me to do as no other ever has. To free this family of its' curse. To free her child, so he would never have to know the same suffering that she did. Though by now of course, it is far too late for that."

Kureno laughed softly and shook his head. "Your fancy words don't fool me, you bastard. Never have, never will. I know what you are thinking when you look at that window." He walked over to lean against one of the trees and placed his hands on the cool bark. The sinking sun threw the main house into a violent array of shadows and glares. "Not that I cannot commend you for your taste _ani_. Akito is... beautiful. Just as you said. He has the beauty of his mother... and most of her temper as well. Needless to say, he is not the same boy you remember Bane. He is very sick... both mentally and physically. And he has grown cruel."

"My 'Kito?" The chestnut asked as he watched the soft-spoken rooster. "Susumu... why do you sound so sad?"

"I am sad for you..." Kureno whispered, leaning his head on the tree trunk. "For what you have to do my _ani_. My _otooto_. Your future and your past are both so sad and yet.. still you still have that same old smile I remember so well. That same old ignorance of the corruption of the human soul. It did not occur to you that Akito could become so tainted, could it? It did not occur to you that should you return you may find nothing at all to love about him. Nothing at all."

The chestnut shrugged. "What other choice do I have, Ku-Ku-chan? To live in misery, drown in my sorrow? All I can do is keep smiling, keep on loving. Do you think I lied on that tape when I said that I would never be ashamed or disappointed in Akito? Don't you get it? I love him. Unconditionally."

"You keep doing this and you'll be thrown back into Darkness." Kureno mumbled, looking downwards.

The words sent a shiver up the Bane's spin and he struggled not to let it show. Even in the warm evening sun, he suddenly felt cold all over as the memories of his turmoiltuous sleep and a pitch-black room reverberated within his mind. He shook his head as if to clear it and forced himself to smile.

"Nah! Who would throw this pretty face into a dark room where it couldn't be seen?" He asked in a pouty voice. When Kureno didn't answer he strode over to him and used his thumb to lift his chin. Forcing their eyes to meet. Kureno felt his resolve to end this confrontation as he had so violently planned waver, when he saw the face of the one whom had been forgotten. The face he had last seen torn and wrapped in layers of bloody bandages. "You _know _what I must do. You _know _I must give myself to Akito, body, mind _and _soul, _ani._ I am not afraid of tomorrow anymore or what the future has in store for me. You shouldn't have to be afraid for me."

Kureno was resilient beneath his gaze. "You know the penalty for returning here, Bane. Should you continue to do so, I will tell the elder's. Their punishment will be no less severe then if they caught you themselves. But you must not do this anymore. ... You must _not _put yourself in danger, not after going through so much already." His voice trembled. "I cannot bear the thought of seeing you broken again, not again. You are... too important..."

The Bane raised an eyebrow. "Too important to this family – or to _you_?"

Kureno pulled himself from his hands and turned to retrieve his sword from the bushes into which they had been cast. He slid the belt back around his waist and buckled it, pausing to rearrange his attire and then turning his head a little.

"I shouldn't have to say this but... don't fall in love with Sohma Akito." He said darkly, not meeting the other man's eyes. "There is nothing for the two of you but heartbreak."  
There was a pregnant silence that extended on despite the million things the Bane wanted to say. His thoughts drifted away from him, escaping into thin air before he could pin them down with adequate words. What did Kureno know? What gave him the right to tell him what he could or could not do?! The chestnut lowered his head, so his long bangs further obscured his face, preventing Kureno from seeing the hot angry tears that burnt his eyes.

"What I do is my business..." He said in a thin, dangerous voice. "I've already lost seven years of my life and I will make the best of what I have left. You tell me not to come back as though I have no feelings at all, Susumu."

"That would imply that you were human." Kureno replied a little unkindly.

"How rude!" The Bane exclaimed.

"Do you have any idea the repercussions of your actions, should you return?" The rooster asked tenaciously. "I want you to understand that I know that I fucked you over royally back then. I was naive too and hadn't a clue what the elder's had planned for you."

The bane seemed ironically exasperated. "What did you expect?! A little slap on the bum?"

Kureno almost laughed at this. It was just the sort of thing he'd say. "I don't know what I expected but... certainly not a sanctioning as harsh as it was." He broke off as tears clouded his vision, he face collapsing in grief and the memory of horror. "God... if you had any idea the nightmares that haunted me from that day onwards. I well deserved them... and I'm sure they are only a fraction of the horror that you were put through. What I mean to say is... you have every right to exact your revenge upon me. To get even that is. To be angry, to hate me as passionately as you once loved me and I won't begrudge you that. Anything that you could do to me would be less than I deserve."

"How noble." The chestnut said sarcastically. "But why bother with all that 'getting-even' crap? You were as much a pawn as I was... I know what you're trying to do Susumu. And if you think that flaunting that moral card about in my face is going to make me recklessly charge you so you can stick me with that 2-foot swizzle stick, you can think again. Now get your hand off of the sword and turn around."

Kureno bit his lip angrily realizing he'd been caught out and released his grip on the Katana handle. He faced the bane. "We both know that your life has never been your own. Just as mine has never been. What the Hell's the point?"

There was a silence as the Bane considered. "That we do it. Regardless." He said at last.

A gust of wind sent the dead leaves of Autumn billowing past the two men, the rustling of it's husky breath seeming unnaturally loud to both as they stared each other down. Kureno swallowed deeply.

"Wont you turn and walk away?"

The bane shook his head. "I'm right where I need to be."

A further silence and Kureno could feel the sweat beading on his forehead, the sticky rankness of the saliva beneath his tongue. And the overcompensating wave of emotion that came with the knowledge of what he would have to do in order to make the bane understand just how serious this all was. Why he had to leave.

"You cannot come back." He said as forcefully as he could. "You are dead to us. _Dead._ Should you try to come back – I'll be the one to kill you this time."

The bane smiled grimly. "Ku-Ku-chan... you _were_ the one that killed me the first time. You were there the day I 'died.' They completely broke me. In every way a man can possibly be broken, they broke me. I was punished because of the love I had for that boy... And in the darkness as I slept, that love kept me alive when it was illogical that I should keep breathing. None of the doctors or the nurses could understand it. They came day after day to change the bandages that soaked the bed beneath me in blood. I bled like the rain, Susumu. I bled like the rain in the days of war long since past. I bled more blood then there was blood in my veins and it was thought that nothing could keep me alive. Nothing. ... How foolish you all were. Tamiko's _death _was what kept me breathing in that godforsaken hell I was plunged into. When the pain became so great that I begged for release, that women was there on the far side of the shadows, pushing me back into this word. Again. And again. And again. You cannot understand the torment of my suffering, Kureno. When they switched off the life support I just wouldn't go. I just wouldn't die. I bled... I bleed until this day and I bleed for Akito! My life is not going to end before I have found some way of saving his! _That _is _my _reward!"

Kureno drew his sword at the same moment the bane released his sai. They stood poised in the manner of ancient samurai warriors preparing to cast one another into the abyss. Kureno's breath was labored.

"I cannot change the past." He said at last. "But for the resilience you have shown, I have nothing but admiration and respect for you."

"Oh yippee." The other said, rolling his eyes. "Respect and admiration constitute the loss of seven years that's for sure. Stuff a sock in your windpipe Kureno and let's resolve this. If that's what you want, we'll pursue this pointless debacle to its ultimate and final asinine resolution. Or – you can turn around, go home, make yourself a nice pot of tea and resign yourself to the fact that I'll be joining you at the table in a short while. ... Well? What's it going to be?"

In all honesty, Kureno would have much preferred to take this option. He was not a coward by nature, nor did he fear actually confronting the bane in a full on fight but – he had his instructions. And he was beginning to make some sense of things that made him fear what else was to happen should he allow this man to come back. It had already turned out so badly the first time...

"... You cannot come back." He repeated firmly.

The Bane slashed at the air aggressively, his expression prodigious.

"Don't you understand, Kureno?!" He cried in grievance. "I must come back! The influence of the past is already starting to spread beyond the elder's control. When Shoki's Festival comes about, it will be too late to stop her misery. They will die Kureno. She'll take them in her vengeance, to reclaim the lives that were taken from her!"

Kureno was confused. "What nonsense do you speak of?"

The bane was grim. "The ritual is fast approaching. Should it fail to be upheld, this family will be lost, as was the Shirotora. Should it fail... they will die."

"Who will die?" Kureno took a step forward. "Who will die and what ritual? This all sounds like crazy gibberish – though I shouldn't be surprised I suppose, considering who it is coming from."

"I'm not crazy." The bane insisted with anger. "I know of what I speak! This ritual, this curse is claiming the life of the Akito as we speak."

"_The _Akito...? You said 'they' will die."

It was somewhat sinister, the bane's next words. And Kureno felt the overwhelming desire to suddenly run far, far away as those red eyes glowed beneath the hood.

"_Both _the Akito's will die."

Silence.

"You still don't understand. That secret was torn by the other elder's I suppose." The bane sighed and brushed his chin with his forefinger. "In any event... I don't see how you could doubt the authenticity of my words. The Akito is coming into age and the others are starting to awaken. Such as I did. Don't you see that is how I was able to come back here, to awaken from my coma? You saw it; that clock on the outside of the chest."

Kureno thought back to the moment he and Akito had unveiled the box and discovered the plain numberless clock on the front of it. How it had sprung open when the second hand had reached the high rise of the face. It hadn't really fazed him all that much, despite the peculiarity of it. But now that he thought about it... there had to have been some reason for the clock's significance. Clocks tell the time. They can also be used as an alarm... to wake somebody up who is sleeping...

His heart stalled.

"I cast a spell on that time keeper..." The bane said as he registered the look of shock on Kureno's face. "The chest was to unlock on the very first day of the Misery. The day in which the yurei would be unleashed from their slumber. I too would awaken when that clock stopped, so that I could be here to protect you all."

"Yurei... do you mean ghosts?" Kureno asked, frowning.

The bane curled his lip. "No, I meant a fucking pixie. Of course I mean ghosts! You can't tell me that nothing peculiar, apart from the obvious, has happened today?"

Kureno considered. Before he had found the necklace, Akito had spoken words that were not his own and some sort of otherworldly smell had availed his senses. Then there had been the shadow of the necklace, Akito's cryptic injuries ... and Ayame...

His expression turned to anger. "Were you the one who did that to Ayame?!" He yelled.

The bane recoiled at his violent reaction. "Ayame? ... Do you mean the snake? I haven't seen him since seven years ago... ..." He paused momentarily and scratched his chin with the tip of his sai. "Did something happen to him?"

Again, Kureno stared at him, noting that there was something artificial in the way in which the bane phrased his words. As though he knew a little more about the situation then he was letting on. If so, Kureno chose to let him believe his ignorance. Sometimes this made things less complicated.

"He fell to submission of the snake spirit." He said after a while.

The bane nodded as though the answer was both appropriate and fitting. He casually regarded his sai and spun them once anti-clockwise on his fingers, then anti-clockwise, as though showing off. Kureno eyed them carefully.

"Are you ready to do this?"

The robed one smiled a little dangerously. "No." He said. "But come at me with everything you have, _ani_. Show me your power."

It was all he needed. In a matter of seconds, Kureno had repositioned the Katana before his face. In the flawless sheen of the blade he could see the reflection of the tree's behind him, the leaves bending slightly to the sway of the breeze. He was in sync with the world around him, noting each tiny aspect that might save or end his life.

"Show me your worth." He replied, with nary a waver of his voice.

He plunged forward, turning his body so that the point of the sword was aimed directly at the center of the Bane's chest, intent on a single killing strike. To be honest, Kureno would have been astounded if that individual move had connected. It was quick and lethal; an ordinary person would have been pressed to avoid it.

But the Bane was not ordinary. And he sure as Hell was not a person.

The light glinted off of the swords sharpened edge, running along the blade and racing the swiftly sprinting form of the robed figure as he cut along beside it, expertly evading the stroke. The Katana hit nothing but air. With impeccable reaction time, Kureno pivoted to the right, swinging the sword in a wide upward arc, slicing through the upper sleeve of the Bane's cloak. There was a small insignificant splash of blood against brown material, but no affirmation of pain from the individual himself. It was insufficient damage.

The chestnut landed lightly against the patterned floor of the forest and just as quickly, twisted to the left, bringing the same leg around to deliver a sharp series of snap kicks to Kureno's jaw. The rooster effectively blocked two with the flat end of his sword but the third connected, thrusting directly into the scratch marks adorning his neck. He coughed, fighting back the duplicate bursts of pain and launched himself forward, parrying and slicing. The Bane battered at the hard steel with each blade, backing off with barely the minimalist movement of each step. He was already in a defensive pose and Kureno had appropriately taken on the offensive style, which was familiar in context to the two men. Little had changed in the last seven years.

"_Ninjitsu _has always been something more to you, has it not Susumu?" The Bane asked with a maddening grin. Kureno ignored him. Had to ignore him or risk loosing the fight. "It was never something as simple as kicks and punches, as the callous removal of ones self from debilitating human emotions. Oh, you seem apathetic enough on the top but underneath it all, you are bursting with nothing but your emotions. Love, anger, envy, hurt, foolishness, self-doubt. Debilitating human sincerity that means little to nothing, of artificial self-congratulatory nature, which essentially boils down to the fact that you are nothing but a scared little boy, Kureno. Scared because you fear that you have missed out on so much in your life because you are bound to the life of the master. I can _feel _it in you. You are giving it all unto me, in order to defeat me. Now, in a moment when you should be free of constricting emotion you let it overrule you, because you have no alternative way of expressing it. You don't know how. You are as inept with your feelings as you have ever been, when it should be so simple to let them be seen. You must be very sad you've had to resign yourself to this life, mustn't you? Did you envy me that? That I was able to live the same life but free myself of the restrictions imposed upon us?"

It was becoming irritating. Kureno growled and kicked the Bane once in the mouth to silence him and then again from the opposite side to punish his tenacity. Blood splattered from the robed ones lips and left a speckled arrangement on the tree's surrounding them, like some sort of infant with a paint brush. He considered his wound for a moment and tentatively reached up to wipe the fluid from his lips. It glimmered lightly beneath the sun as he held it up and then pressed the fingertip back into his mouth, swallowing it.

"I hate it – " He began, his voice smooth and calm. " – when people make me bleed."

At this the true ninja within the Bane surfaced and his next attacks came swift and silently, placing him in the stance of offensive whilst Kureno merely attempted to keep up. Both men had been trained in the art of the old ways, the ancient art of ninjitsu with no outside influence from other modern day martial arts, but Kureno had always been the most astute of the pair. He had a great respect for the style and the manner of its' execution. He had always seen Bane as something of a mimic in the art; as though he dealt the blows with the manner of one whom could only improvise what he had learnt and never exchange them with the comfort of utmost perfection. But now, there was something different in his nature. The self-conscious expression of his every action had been replaced by the art of instinct. He had mocked Kureno for his eruption of emotions when it came to fighting and Kureno realized that this was exactly what he was doing. Each swipe of his sai, each twist, pirouette, kick, punch and turn was at the mercy of nothing but the Bane's raw emotions, each with the strength of cold, compassionless fury. It was a dangerous fighting style; in such a way that one may very well have invited insanity to penetrate the mind.

But it was working. For what the Bane lacked in skill, he made up for in ruthless predilection.

The robed one came at him with the sai again and Kureno barely had time to parry with his sword, dodging away as the needle point blades serrated an inch deep cut into the tree he had been backed up against. He was horrifyingly fast and deterrent in each feint and fast he made. At times he would clear the area of his upper torso, inviting Kureno in to take a slice at him and instantly he'd be batting the sword away with one blade and lunging for his eyes with the other. Though it was not to his nature to use such tactics in a fight, Kureno bit down on his moral ethics and dramatically threw himself to the ground, skidding along on his side. The move surprised the Bane who predictably turned to follow it and found himself with a face full of dried leaves and dirt. He quickly scrubbed at his eyes, trying to clear his vision before Kureno was back on his feet. The rooster took advantage of his momentary blindness and scissor-kicked his legs, causing the other man to fall over. At the very last moment, he tried to save himself and threw his arms back, thrusting the sai's points deep into the dirt and trying to flip backwards, using the knives as a leverage. Kureno had to admire his perseverance at that, but thought it to be a foolish tactic regardless. He simply exploded forwards and pinned the legs to the ground, preventing his assent and pointing the sword's tip directly against the other man's throat, all but scratching his larynx. He panted harshly as he smiled down at the Bane, eyes gleaming with triumph.

"So smart... yet you fall for such a stupid trick." The rooster teased, chuckling ever so mockingly. The Bane smiled back despondently.

"I guess I just expected something more from you." He made a differing 'who cares?' shrug and released his death grip on the sai. "That was my mistake, as per usual. To expect smart tactics from foolish people."

Kureno jabbed him roughly in the throat as a warning and suddenly found himself being pushed sideways before he had registered the seizure of power. Once more he was effectively relieved of his samurai sword which reclaimed residence in the bushes to the left. The Bane stared down at him and then, in a somewhat surprising move, drove his mouth down against his. Kureno collapsed, not used to the feeling of being kissed. It had been a long time since... well... But it seemed he hadn't forgotten. The minute sensitive pathways of the other man's mouth, opened his memories and he lost all sense of the anger he had been feeling, the adrenaline of their fight making use of itself in other more productive means. The Bane moaned from deep beneath their lips and stationed his hand on Kureno's waist, fishing it up beneath his sweater in order to touch the mottled flesh of his scar. Kureno found his own hand repeating the action, though it was harder to locate the identical wound beneath all those layers of robes. But once he had his fingers caressing that familiar dark skin he found himself at an utter loss of self-control. How long had it been since he had felt this? This physical intimacy with someone? With Uo he felt compassion and sensitivity, but he had never been able to afford anything more, less their secret be unveiled. This factor had never really bothered him, or so he thought. But now, as he felt the soft probing of that supple tongue against his lips and the hands that had only moments ago been trying to hurt him, he realized just how much he missed this.

__

'And that's just what you want isn't it, you asshole?' He silently accused as he parted his lips and allowed the Bane to gain entry into his mouth.

__

'And you're just as bad Kureno.' The voice came back, sounding ever so smug and superior. _'You don't seem to be struggling too much do you?'_

The voice had a point.

"Gebobff!" He yelled shoving at the body on top of him. Well at least he tried to yell. But only a rather muffled sound escaped from the sides of his mouth that weren't currently plastered to the Banes.

"Hmph? Wab idj oo shff?" The other man, uh asked. He still hadn't taken his mouth away which made any sort of verbal communication between the pair difficult. Kureno finally managed to pop his lips free, sending a great thread of saliva over his chin. He grimaced and wiped it against the other man's shoulder.

"You bloody slobbery prick! I said Get Off!" He shouted, balling his hands into tight 'break your fucking nose' fists with all intention of exacting their purpose. The Bane wiped absently at the spittle on his robes and flashed a wide grin.

"Get off, you say? Why it would be my pleasure! Or more specifically, it will be yours!" He leered, creeping his hand up of Kureno's sweater and onto his chest. The rooster decided enough was enough and if he didn't remove the malignant bastard, he'd be begging him to fuck him on the forest floor and that was just embarrassing. So, he gently persuaded him to cease his incessant fondling with a polite tap between the eyes.

"OUCHIE!!" The Bane screeched, falling backwards onto his butt and rubbing his face. "Hey – couldn't you be a little more gentle?" He whined, tears streaming down his face.

Kureno rolled back slightly and jumped directly to his feet, dusting off the seat of his pants and wiping his mouth free of any excess saliva. His face was a darling shade of red.

"You don't listen to people if they don't first prompt you with pain." He explained, knowing full well that it was the truth. "I'm sorry Bane, but I cannot allow you to return to the Sohma family. I came here to stop you, not to make out with you."

"What a shame..." The Bane pouted. "It was my failsafe plan and it failed! How could it? It was foolproof!"

"Because I'm 26 years old and I'm don't think with my penis all the time like most guys." Kureno said as way of excuse. He picked up the Bane's sai from the ground and twirled them about his fingers. "I could have killed you right here and now." He said pleasantly, extending the blades to the other man's chin. "But – I understand the need for mercy and I know the pain you have suffered already. For that, I have compassion and I will let you walk away with but that. Take what regret you have at ever being involved with this family and leave us. That is all I ask."

"And if I have no regrets?" The Bane asked quietly.

Kureno was grim. "Then you are truly stupid and I pity you for it." He paused to check his watch. "I will leave you now, with what I have told you. Take a hint and push off. Go and live a normal life, have a bunch of kids, get a moderate well paying job and forget you ever knew me, Akito or the Sohma's. Take the mercy that is your life and the scar's of yesterday and be grateful for what you have now. At this moment. I have nothing more to say."

With that he dropped the sai at the Bane's feet, retrieved his sword and disappeared into the embrace of the trees, indicating that the confrontation had come to a close. The robed one considered Kureno's words for a moment and decided to humor him, at least in part. He would make himself scarce until his ability's had fully regenerated and then...

He risked one last glance upward to the circular window that hid Akito's room. His entire being ached with the knowing that he was so close to seeing him again and yet at the same time, he was still so many miles away.

__

'Just give me a little longer...' He thought, wishing Akito could hear those words. _'It's not too long now...'_

****

SCENE CHANGE

"I think if we had given them half the chance Gure, those kids would have been scolding us until dawn!" Ayame exclaimed, perching himself on the lip of the bathtub and giving a haughty toss of his head. "Honestly! My parent's are less anal then the two of them, and that should be telling you something!"

Shigure chuckled as he sank the plug into the plughole and twisted the taps on, watching the steady flow of water crash down onto the porcelain curl of the tub. Ayame scootched away from the edge to avoid getting his already thoroughly abused kimono splattered.

"Well... we did get home late after having an accident. They were just concerned, in their pubescent hormonal way." Ayame simply shrugged and crossed his arms; eyes set on the far side of the bathroom. "Seems like you're in a bad mood, Aya." The novelist ventured, stepping away from the tub and wrapping his arms around his boyfriend's waist. Ayame sighed tiredly and rested back into his chest, his forehead pressed to Shigure's cheek. "It was Akito, wasn't it? He's got you riled..."

"Not riled Shigure... just plain humiliated..." Ayame trailed his fingernails along the novelist's jaw line, stroking the arm around his waist with his free hand. "I'm just disgusted you had to see me like that... I'm glad Yuki didn't. ... I'm truly a coward Gure..."

"You're not a coward." Shigure insisted, using both hands to force Ayame to meet his eyes. They seemed to want to look anywhere else except his own. "That was a frightening situation. Akito may be young, but he pretty much makes up for lack of age with a violent temper that _no one _would want to be on the receiving end of. It's never been directed at me fortunately, but I've seen how it affects others. It's terrifying."

Ayame knew perfectly well why Shigure had never been on the receiving end of Akito's aggression. The hissed accusations that the boy had whispered in his ear before they had left the Main House still remained with him. It was obvious how he felt for the dark haired inu of the zodiac. And obvious too how he felt about Ayame for gaining Shigure's love.

__

'All's fair,' Ayame thought gazing fondly into the brown eyes of his lover and feeling himself smile. _'After all I went through to get here I'll be damned if I'll let Akito screw it up for us now.'_

Shigure returned the smile and leaned forward closing the space between their lips and pulling Ayame into the sweetest kiss imaginable. Wholesome and involving, but free from the passionate entangling of their tongues. An innocent first love kiss; the kind that spoke of summers long past and the taste of strawberry's. Ayame moaned into his friend's mouth and slid his arms up over Shigure's shoulders and around his neck. Ah bliss... this was the way it was meant to be. In moment's free from the nightmares, the apparitions and the anger of bitter family master's, he could feel this contented happiness and drift on it into a cloud filled tomorrow, swathed in a love he never thought imaginable. _That _was what Shigure could give him that no one else had ever been able to.

Their lips fell apart and Ayame brushed them together again, never wanted to separate from his lover, not even for a moment. Perhaps he had grown a tad dependent on Shigure, clingy and needy in the two months since they had been together. The nightmares had done that to him and he worried constantly that Shigure would soon protest to the amount of time they spent together. But so far... it hadn't happened. He prayed it never would.

"I had an amazing time today..." He said, rubbing his hands into the inward slope of Shigure's collarbone. "Well, you know. Apart from the whole crash thing-mi-whoo."

"How do you suppose we managed that?" Shigure pondered, trailing one hand down the inward sway of Ayame's back. His partner shrugged, seemingly disinterested.

"I'm not sure Shigure! Strange but we mustn't forget what foolhardy vagabonds we are! I'm just sorry that my poor sweet baby suffered the brunt of my bad driving..."

Shigure waved a hand. "Aya! Please don't embarrass me like that! I'm perfectly fine, it was only a little bump on the head!"

"I meant the car Shigure."

Predictably, Shigure took a swipe at his head and Ayame ducked the blow, getting quite good at anticipating when a smacking was coming his way. Laughing, he looped his arm about his boyfriend's waist and swung up behind him, wrapping him up and nuzzling his cheek from behind. This role reversal in the pseudo gender roles they played took Shigure momentarily by surprise. But he quickly relaxed, wary not to offend Ayame as he had earlier that day. Their fingers intertwined and danced along the thin folds of Shigure's shirt that withheld his flat stomach from sight. Feeling quite in the mood, Ayame pecked the space behind his lover's ear, eliciting a gentle moan in response.

"Before we start heading down the path of no return... Aya – " He gasped as Ayame turned his attention to the shell of his ear, snatching the lobe between his teeth and nibbling on it. "Tell me... just what suicidal tendencies gripped you in those very moments where you felt compelled my beloved little snake, to pounce Ninja style, on our poor unsuspecting family master?"

Ayame promptly spat out his ear.

"Aya?"

"Shigure, I would like to forget about it. If you do not mind." There was something cold and artificial in Ayame's voice. Like a snake hiss it was an imminent warning of what would happen if the subject was further pursued. And knowing his best friend like he did, Shigure was aware it meant the seriousness of what the topic warranted and danger or not, it was best pursued before it became poison. He turned his head to meet Ayame's eyes.

"Uh, uh, uh- no you don't!" The snake declared, pushing his fingers against Shigure's mouth. "I know what those big puppy dog eyes mean and I am telling you here and now that the topic is not open to discussion! I don't want to think about it right now. All I want to think of right now is you, your lips and where I want them. Is that too much to ask?"

"Aya..." Shigure began and he was rewarded for his persistence with a smack on the bum. Ayame made a most bodacious grin and smacked him once more. "OW! Geez..."

"That was for your tenor," the snake explained, pulling him close with a dowey-eyed expression. "If it suits you, we can discuss it tomorrow. But it suits me right now, to not want to talk about it. Should you fail to honor this agreement, there will be consequences. Are we clear?"

"Yeah, yeah we're clear. Ow..." Shigure rubbed his butt and winked back over his shoulder. "Gotta admit though, the threat of a spanking doesn't exactly discourage me from misbehaving Aya."

"I should hope not!" The snake laughed tracing one long finger from the top of Shigure's spine all the way down his back and pausing just before the curve of his buttocks. He leaned close to whisper in his ear. "I want you to make me feel good tonight Shigure. I want to forget about what happened earlier – all I want to think about, is you. Shigure... Shigure..." His voice escalated in lust as he softly caressed Shigure's butt, giving him a slight pinch on one cheek as he trailed his hand around and moved to stand before him. Shigure's eyes were heavy with desire, dripping with a honey dew passion as Ayame's long fingers set to work on his shirt buttons. He drew back, pulling Ayame with him and managed to find the bath taps. He twisted them off and returned his hands to the lovelier task of trailing down the divine slope of Ayame's back. There they found their mark around each buttock and with the weight divested upon the tight muscle, Shigure lifted Ayame up and the snake secured his legs around his chest, clinging to him as a python to a branch. The novelist carried his lover over to the bathroom bench where he quickly divested him of what had started the day as a clean designer kimono. It was divulged of much of it's former glory, rolled into a ball and tossed into the nearest available corner but Shigure was far more invested in the creature beneath it to care for the garment's dignity. He trailed his hand down the center of Ayame's slim chest, noting the obvious absence of any markings against the tender ashen skin. All the inflections caused by the accident had been isolated to above the neck alone. Ayame pressed the heels of his hands against the bench and lifted his bottom up, indicating that Shigure was to take his boxers off. The inu obliged dutifully and stretched the sides of the black boxers out, freeing Ayame's hips and sliding the undergarment down his long slender legs, tugging them away at the feet. Ayame was already semi-aroused, his eager cock begging for attention from the slight curl of silver hair between his legs. Shigure lowered himself down onto his knee's, leaning forward and grasping the taut length in the cup of one hand. It felt hot and tight as he lowered his mouth to perform the task the snake had been hoping for.

Ayame arched his back willingly as Shigure kissed the tip of his erection, rubbing his hand down the base of the length at the same time. He felt it twitch beneath his touch and kissed the end again, flicking his tongue over the head and licking with teasing intentions. Shigure looked up at Ayame's face to see that the other man was watching his actions. Encouraged, Shigure set his mouth around the very tip of Ayame's cock, licking at the wet slit and eliciting a sharp moan from his lover in response. Shigure's mouth felt so warm, his lips skimming the tight skin and then the lulling wave of his tongue as it probed along the hard shaft. The inu rested his hand on Ayame's inside thigh, rubbing the soft indent with his thumb as he relaxed his throat muscles, pulling Ayame even further within.

"Shigure!" The snake groaned, tilting his head back and sliding his tongue shut. He gently rolled his pelvis, panting at the friction he got from either side of Shigure's tight throat. The novelist focused on controlling his gag reflexes as he suckled the firm shaft from beneath, curling his tongue about it and tickling it lightly with the very tip. By this point, Ayame was consciously trying to keep himself from screaming as the control over his thrusts evaporated. Shigure could feel him coming close and gave one hard suck and slowly drew his mouth off of Ayame's penis. The snake whimpered as the compression of his lovers' throat disappeared and secured Shigure around the chest with his legs pulled him close.

"Gure... please...." He whispered, almost sobbing with the desperate need. The want. Pre-cum leaked from the tip of his cock, smearing across Shigure's shirt. The inu smiled and leaned close, gently entrusting his tongue to within the confines of the other man's mouth. It was then Ayame noticed the warmth spreading across his skin and realized that Shigure was washing him with a soapy cloth. That's right... he had run some soapy water in the sink before he'd drawn the bath. Ayame crooned and leaned back, allowing Shigure to trail that soft material over his skin, leaving behind a trail of sparkling soap bubbles. At one point, the novelist lifted his friend's leg and run the cloth up Ayame's thigh, over his buttock, then down teasingly to circle the outline of his groin.

"You are a cruel man, Shigure Sohma." The tailor managed to gasp, after his lover had rinsed him off. Shigure just smiled and gave him another kiss.

"All part of my evil plan..." He whispered, licking the slight upward curve of Ayame's smirk. The snake's hands darted forward and he scrabbled his nails desperately against the shirt he had so meticulously picked out for him that morning, wanting nothing more then to tear the god damned thing in half.

"Off." He insisted, tugging at the collar with much insistence. Shigure chuckled at his impatience and languorously took his time carefully unhooking the buttons and peeling the shirt off of his shoulders. By then, Ayame had turned his hormonal attentions to his pants and was yanking at the belt buckle as though tearing it off may have magically resulted in Shigure's trousers falling down. The novelist decided it was cruel to torture him anymore and made short work of his pants and boxers. Ayame smiled.

"You're getting the hang of it now!" He said with a great deal of satisfaction, picking the cloth out of the sink and wringing it out seductively. Shigure raised his eyebrows enticingly and stood straight and tall, his hands hanging at his side. Ayame leaned forward on the bench, trailing the damp cloth down his lovers' chest in one smooth stroke, then straight back up, lovingly caressing the other man's long neck. Shigure sighed and caught Ayame's hand in his own, kissing his fingers desperately as though it were the last time he would ever do so. The cloth fell to the floor as Shigure moved close and hooked his arms beneath Ayame's knees, the other arm framing his shoulders. He then carried him over to the bath, abandoning the hygienic soaping and rinsing. Hey, it wasn't like anyone was going to risk using the water after they had been in it. To Ayame, he felt sort of like a bride being carried into her new house just after the wedding had concluded. A buck-naked bride with a very painful arousal at that, but a bride non the less.

"Tell me if it's too hot." Shigure said, dunking Ayame's toes into the bath water without any warning. The tailor waggled his toes a little and nodded perkily.

"Not too cold, not too hot – Just right!" He declared as Shigure lowered him gently into the water. He sat up straight and splashed a bit of water over the side at him. "Too bad if it was hot though, Gure! You could have burnt my poor little tootsies to a crisp! Then how could I play footsies with you late at night? You see Gure, you really need to think before you ac-"

"Oh shut up." The inu said, climbing into the bath behind Ayame. He rested back against the white porcelain curve and made a gesture for the tailor to scoot back. Ayame shook his hair out, the longer bits straying across the water's surface and made a jerky gesture with his thumb.

"I think _someone's _forgetting they owe me a back rub."

Shigure _had_ forgotten, but he didn't let on that he did. Sliding both his legs around Ayame's submerged form; he pulled himself in close, rubbed his hands together and set them down on his lovers' shoulders. He began rubbing in earnest, working out the knots he could feel moving beneath the skin. Ayame moaned appreciatively and pulled his legs up tight against his chest, resting his head on his knees.

"Ah... love ya Shiggy..." He said in a mixture of pain and pleasure. The inu just smiled and moved his hands down a little, rubbing the worn heels in ever widening circles. The water gently lapped around them, rising only as high as the center of their chests. Shigure could see every detail of Ayame's smooth perfect body, lengthened and distorted in some places, his pale skin shining with wetness. He loved it when they bathed together.

Ayame made a little noise as Shigure's hands descended lower into the water, rubbing the smooth indent of his waist. With his back free, Shigure took the opportunity to lay a line of kisses down the curved spine, trailing down and then up again to tease the back of Ayame's neck. The snake crooned wickedly.

"Oh you are a naughty boy Gure..." He whimpered, dipping his hand into the water and running it up Shigure's leg to his pelvis. The fingers moved tantalizingly close to their goal and only then to stray away. Shigure's own hands abandoned their work on Ayame's hips and moved around to slide between milk white thighs. Ayame groaned and rocked his pelvis upwards, trying to direct his touch to where it was most wanted.

"Shigure... please..." He begged, pushing his buttocks back to grind against Shigure's hardened manhood. Now, Shigure was not a cruel man by nature, but he liked to see Ayame pleading for him to touch him. Empowered by this, he consented to his lovers' desire and used one hand to gently spread his legs apart, delving the other within the confines of his loins. Ayame gasped and cried 'Yes!' as the long fingers wrapped around his throbbing desire, tugging it with long, agonizing strokes. Shigure maintained a rhythm that was impossible for Ayame to follow, skilled as he was in this particular field of foreplay. He stroked Ayame slowly one second, pulling on his aching manhood until his fingers squeezed over the sensitive head and then alternatively moving quickly the next second, pumping forward and back with the cup of his fist. The effect was that Ayame was quickly drawn towards the edge and then it was cruelly withheld longer. His back arched in ecstasy as he rode out the waves of euphoria stirring from his groin. He was moaning like he hadn't had sex in years, grasping Shigure's knees and yelping at the ceiling. Their lips fell together and Ayame thrust his tongue enthusiastically within the hot caverns of his lovers' mouth, exploring every well known crease and crevice. Shigure ducked his tongue into the space behind Ayame's bottom teeth, massaging his tongue from below. Their bodies trembled with the urgent need to extinguish the plume of lust spiraling upwards to arouse every joint and patch of skin.

"Shigure..." Ayame panted against his lips. "I don't know how much longer I can hold this..."

The novelist understood immediately and released his hold on Ayame's cock, helping his lover to spin around and position himself over his waist. Ayame slid his wet chest up against Shigure's, gazing into his florid face and gently securing his bottom lip between his teeth. As he sucked, they moved their pelvises into perfect alignment and Ayame relaxed the muscles in his ass, allowing Shigure to slide inside of him without much difficulty. He sat up, burying the other's man's cock even deeper and placed his hands on his chest. His eyes were shut.

"Make me feel better Gure..." He begged as Shigure grasped his waist between his hands. Ayame bucked hard, setting the rhythm of their lovemaking and looked down into the eyes of the man he was in love with. Shigure responded exceptionally, thrusting into him and moaning at the friction when Ayame tightened the muscles in his ass as hard as he could, riding the rise and falls of the other man's pelvis. Sex had a way of helping him forget, to put behind the things that caused him pain. That made him ache inside.

__

"You. Are. A. Slut." Akito had said.

__

I am a slut, Ayame realized. _I'm dependent on sex to make me feel alive. To get me through the hard times. Even before Shigure I would just find it in whoever was available, just to qualm the inadequacies I felt within myself. For how I failed Yuki, how I failed my parents... how I failed myself..._

"Denounce the whorish life you've lived."

"Stupid snake!! You stupid, brainless, pathetic, waste of space! That's what you are!"

"That's what I am."

Ayame nipped gently at Shigure's neck, securing the flesh tightly and sucking hard at it with each thrust into him. The tailor pushed down upon his lover as hard as he was able, trying to elicit pain within himself; burning hot pain, to counter the horrible misery inside of his soul. That agony that couldn't be erased, only blotted out by each shift of the other man's hard erection as he tightened himself up as much as was possible. And when the stabbing sting came, he was grateful for it and reached out for more, for the pain to overwhelm the internal void of emptiness he was feeling. He pulled the skin tightly between his teeth and then released it with a sharp 'twock' noise. The skin on Shigure's neck had gone a dark red; a mark that undoubtedly would become a hickey. Ayame kissed the spot tenderly and then trailed his mouth down to encase one of Shigure's nipples in his mouth. The inu moaned appreciatively and slid his hands onto Ayame's ass, squeezing each buttock tightly and controlling the rolls of his pelvis. The bath water splashed up over the sides of the tub, cascading down the white porcelain in an ethereal beauty that rivaled the sway of Ayame's hair.

The snake moved his mouth to Shigure's other nipple and bit it cheekily, tweezing the other one between his finger as he did. The novelist moaned and gave an extra enthusiastic thrust that felt to Ayame as though he was being split up the middle. The pain was delicious and excruciating and he yelped as it registered within him. Shigure did not seem to differentiate the sounds Ayame made during sex and did not notice that this was a cry of pain, not of ecstasy. He ran his hand up over the snake's slender back, sliding the far side of his fingers down the feminine sway of his spine. Ayame shivered in response and secured Shigure's lips in his own, wrapping his arms around the broad width of his lovers shoulders and bucking forward and back in a violent rhythm.

Shigure's feet kicked out at the sides of the tub as he lifted them to rest on the very lip, sliding his back down further. Ayame hissed and closed his eyes as he felt the sublime euphoria as his prostate was brushed. It raced up through him in unforgiving waves and he felt himself smile and sigh, wishing it were possible to lose himself to this happiness forever. He felt rather then saw Shigure lean up and then the novelist kissed his eyelids, cupping the rise of his chin with one hand. Ayame loved it when Shigure lavished this kindness upon him; when he touched him like he was the only person he had ever touched before. Every time they kissed, every time they touched, it was as though Shigure invoked the passion in every love scene of every romance novel he had ever written. Each moment shared between them was as beautiful as the Sakura Zensen – the Cherry Blossom Front. Through the warm wind of the coming spring, Shigure secured his lover in his arms and carried him through the soft rain of petals, pausing to catch them upon his hand and slide them between Ayame's lips. That was the beauty of their love; even now when all Ayame desired from his friend, his lover, was something hard and real, to make him forget his internal struggles. To remind him that he was still human and he could still hurt in the exact same way.

That he was still the same old Ayame Sohma. The slut.

__

"That's what I am."

Ayame gasped as he felt a tightening heat gather in his loins and arched his back as he climaxed, spilling his seed into the warm water around them. Not having yet reached his own release, Shigure continued to fuck him and Ayame continued to moan at the precision of his dips as they brushed his prostate. Even to his own ears he sounded like a whore.

__

'No wonder Akito said those words to me...' He thought, digging his nails into the tanned skin of Shigure's chest. Pale ashen tone against caramel colored flesh. _'I am_ _a sickening creature. I'm so weak and stupid. Everything I've done with my life, I've been so happy to achieve so much. I'm with the man I love. I have a job I'm very proud of, friends who support and laugh with me. Sometimes at me. I'm working on tying bonds with Yuki..._

And yet... despite all of this I feel... empty. Perhaps more empty then Akito feels...'

"Ah... Aya..." Shigure moaned, rubbing his hand against the platinum haired man's inside thigh. The pleasure came and Ayame moaned in response, feeling Shigure shiver beneath his arms and then, with a sharp tilt of his head and pelvis, released inside of him. Ayame purred as the hot essence of his lover filled him and lowered his head, placing a kiss on Shigure's panting lips, stealing the necessary breath away. He eventually pulled free wrapped his arms around Shigure's waist, leaning his head against the curved wall of his chest and listening to his heart dance to that passionate beat. Shigure's eyes were closed in contentment and he rested his chin in the tailor's damp hair, pressing one hand to the back of his neck with the other stroking his spine with the tips of his fingers alone. He whispered his voice so soft it was little more than a whisper.

"I love you Ayame..." He said. The snake's eyes flickered open, wondering whether he had heard correctly. Shigure had never openly said the 'L' word to him before, usually preferring a more subtle method of expressing his affection.

"Gure-"

"I love you Ayame." The inu repeated, tracing invisible shapes along Ayame's back, weaving through the small water droplets like a traveler through the tree's of the woods. "I'd do anything to make you happy... but... if I won't _ever _fuck you like that again, do you hear? If some part of you feels better about yourself now then, that is fine. But – I'm not with you so that we can extinguish our pent up emotions in angry sex, Aya. Do you understand? That's why God gave us mouths you know? So we can _tell _people what is bothering us."

That's when the tears started to run down Ayame's face. He bit back a sob and clutched Shigure's chest with his nails, trying to choke off his emotions effectively. Not to turn into the weak, sniveling mess as before. He didn't want Shigure to ever see him like that again.

"Aya?"

The snake coughed and whimpered. "I'm not a slut Shigure-" His shoulders shook and he clamped his eyes shut, wishing he could block off his emotions just as effectively. "Shi-gu-re.... I'm not- I'm not a slut! I'm not a slut, I'm not!!"

"Oh darling..." Shigure soothed, placing his arms around his friends' shoulders and nursing the crown of his head. He rocked him gently in the warm water, whispering a soft 'Shh' here and there. "Oh sweetheart... it's all right. You're not a slut, do you hear me? Hmm?" He forced Ayame to meet his eyes, to witness the truth in the dark of each calming orb. Ayame could feel the love there, as easily as he was able to see the moon on a clear night. More so, he could see the respect Shigure had for him. The reason he had for him.

__

'You see me through the Sakura Zensen, Shigure,' Ayame thought as his lover pulled him close, murmuring words of comfort and reassurance. _'You see my face through the petals of the Cherry Blossoms, as pure and undulated as the romances of your idealic love stories. I love that innocence about you Gure. I love that you choose to see me through the sky of petals, not beyond them.'_

Ayame sighed and slid his eyes shut, his long silver hair fanning through the water around them.

- - - - - - - - - - - **SC **- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

__

Akito slid the tape into the top drawer, into the space beside the picture of his sacred mother. Her cold eyes gazed up at him, seeming to scold him silently as he replaced his boxer shorts over top of his two only treasures. The birds feather was still clutched in his palm. He lifted his pillow and placed the feather down upon the mattress, putting the pillow back over top of it. Akito had read somewhere that doing so with objects might invoke dreams, visions of the person whom touched the object at some point. Though he was not a superstitious man by nature, Akito felt there was no harm in giving it a try. He sighed tiredly and ran a hand through his ebony hair, as dark and decadent as the crisp night sky. He doesn't know that I am watching him. He isn't even aware of my presence, though we pass one another in the hallways every day. How I ache to selfishly languish this fire inside of me and just secure the boy in my arms, brush aside the strands of his long, dark bangs and secure him in my eyes. Akito... your name is so sacred to me. You are the beauty of your mother and the divine supplement of God's tears whence she drank upon giving birth to you. There is none worthy of my love, the way in which you are deserving. How I dream of showering you in the breath of my lips, to see you smile as my hands take you in the dance of my fingertips. I know how lonely you are – your hunger for the love of those men; those unworthy men who are not here for you when you are in need of them.

But I am here. Can't you see?

I see you, wherever you may go, whatever you might see. My eyes don't stray. I watch you now as you shed those robes from the lithe frame of your angelic body, fabric caressing the decadent length of your perfect ivory legs. I can feel my body swelling, aching to reach out and claim you – be the first to take you. I know the pain you suffered at the hands of Minoru, that idiot doctor. Were it not for his hand you would not fear the touch of my own, my love. I know I can make you sigh your love for me, to see your euphoric smile as I make love to you.

What marks upon your back? How cruel it is that you have suffered so! My love... fear not. This loneliness will not avail us for long. How I long for you – to finally step free from the shadows and let you see me for the lover that I can be. I know you'll smile.

Akito...

Akito felt like he was being watched. He pulled on the light kimono he wore to bed and quickly glanced to the doorway as he sanctioned the cord around his waist. The door was closed. No one was there.

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Note: Yes I know I said Akito wouldn't be in this chapter, but I added this at the last minute. And no, that creepy stalker monologue was not my self insertation in the story. Really. ... It wasn't. (Sweatdrops) N E way, puh-lease review! Please! Me wanna lots of reviews! ... Or some would be nice. Next chapter on it's way soon. Though I need to take a bit of a break. This was a _long _motherfucker.


	10. The Black Daemon

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Born to be Broken

Disclaimer: Fruits Basket is not mine. Nor is it yours. Unless of course you _are _the people who own it, in which case it _is _yours. Though I can't say I agree with you for what you did in the "non-existent-Fruits-Basket-manga" but hey, we all get stoned sometimes. Just imagine what your mothers would think, hmm? Better put that bong away now and open the window to clear the air before she gets home. Wouldn't want her to catch you playing with illegal substances now, would you?

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Note: Okay, now that I have had my little obligatory dig at the creators, time to move on to my widdle itty bitty notey thingy. Thankyou everyone for being patient, I know I have been on hiatus for a while but after that last chapter I kind of felt like I deserved a holiday, don't you? Also I've been wrapped up in my newly obsessive Descendants of Darkness craze. You can possibly expect some fanfiction on that soon. (Preferably MurakixTsuzuki. I just _love _those insane psychotic types. But at least the creators can't turn Muraki into a girl unless they were _really _hitting that ganj extra hard. Your Mom's don't want you to smoke pot for a reason, kiddies.)

Thankyou all and sundry for the reviews, which I will not actually respond to since it has been so long since my last update that you guys probably won't have any clue what it is that I am responding to, anyway! Just know that I have read them all and I love you all. That includes all of you that are reading, but not reviewing. Yes, I love even you. But I love reviews even more and I'm not ashamed to admit that.

This chapter, just so you know, is shameless information revealing the whole way through. Which means TONS of boring exposition, delivered in a failed attempt at being riotously interesting. And the only character you will recognize is Ritsu. Ayame, Shigure, Akito, Kureno and Hatori will be reappearing in the next chapter but I have shortened this story down considerably from the original plan. Meaning I have to get my OC introduced lickity-split! It's dragging on way too long and I think you all agree. On that note, uh please at least endure this chapter until the next update.

Oh and just on record, **duos-deathscythe **honey, if _anyone _let alone that be-yoch of a flamer take another crack at you again for whatever immature reason they can concoct, you just give them my email address and tell them to BRING IT ON. Don't you listen to anything that idiot said. The fact that they ripped your fic off of is a disgrace. _My _last chapter was just as bad, if not worse in regards to explicit yaoi and no one has so much as lifted a finger in protest! If _yours _was taken off, _mine _should have been too. What happened to you was unfair and I would be complaining about it to the site manager if I were you. I might even do it for you.

Anyway, the point honey is that your fic is _exquisite_. You took that abuse in your stride and dealt with it marvelously and for that I applaud you, but if you want me to have words with anyone for you, all you have to do is ask. Okay? 

Now, with that all out of the way, I present for your reading chagrin, Chpt 10 of Born to be Broken!

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"Whom the gods love dies young." Menander,_ Dis Exapaton_

It was no secret that Ritsu Sohma was a timid boy by nature. When he arrived at the Main House, he had been planning to simply mind his own business and not cause any disturbance for the duration of his stay.

It seemed like a simple enough plan.

And yet it was this very timidity that drew him into this situation in the first place.

Ritsu had been unpacking his clothes into the drawers of his room when he gave credence to the fact that he was thirsty. Abandoning his task for the time being, he decided to go down to the kitchen and get himself a glass of water.

He first noticed it when he passed by a locked room in the upstairs hallway. It wasn't really that big of a deal to see a room boarded up like that. The Main House was old, and the floors of some of the upper rooms had fallen away as a result of time. But Ritsu noticed this time. He noticed because he knew the room for what it was; that it was locked for a different reason rather then that of disrepair and neglect.

It was the Punishment Room.

He knew because he had been locked in there before. As a child, he had been very accident-prone. Well... even more so then he was today and often as an apology to those people that he had offended, his parents would segregate him to the room. Sometimes for hours at a time. Plunged within that inescapable darkness, the mind was seduced toward the temperate half of passive human nature that desired to submit to shadow and despair. Were you to hold your hand up to your face, you would not have been able to discern even the semblance of shape through the ebony spool. The darkness seemed beyond the dark contrasting to light. The blackness of that room was no contrast; it was at war with the light. It shunned it, refuted it, as a woman would shield herself from the oppressing body of a man attempting to take her in dominance rather than love. It flowed down from the ceiling like a waterfall, stretched up from every corner like thin flowing tresses of a woman's hair, seeking out to entangle all those within. To drown in that water and succumb to the tyrannical embrace of those ebony locks.

And Ritsu distinctly remembered the wet, warmth that seemed to throb beneath his fingers whenever he had been inside. The room had been unmercifully cold, unforgiving and wretched as it thrust it's icy grasp all over his body, sending shivers along his spine to every limb that lay connected to it by neural energy. Yet, the floor appeared to almost be... alive. He would leave the room and his fingers would be covered in a dull red stain, not to mention the hem of his clothing. Stains that never seemed to wash away, no matter the amount of scrubbing it was reduced to. Though his eyes learnt to adjust to the dark, it was never enough to discern just where these stains originated. What birthed them.

He would sit in that room, arms around his legs and weep into the curves of his knees, pondering just why anyone deserved to be plunged into a sickening travesty like this. How his parent's, through their shame of him, could allow him to be cast aside and punished for behaviour that was unintentional and accidental. The shivers cascaded down his body to follow the trails of darkness seeping down to trace his curled figure, entwining around the delicate balance of shadow tresses that crept from the corner. It jeered and laughed at him. At his pitiful self.

Ritsu wondered how anyone else could have tolerated such imprisonment. Often, the sorrow that seemed to saturate that room overwhelmed him to such a degree, that he would willingly have torn his own jugular out, so that he would no longer have to endure it.

Then the day came that he finally realized... not everyone had been able to tolerate it. That there had been others, weaker than he had ever been.

__

He met this other at the age of nine. He'd lost count of how many times he had been placed in that room by then. Yet the horror was no less severe than if it had been the first time.

He had been sitting in the corner, his back to the wall when he had heard it. The sound of someone crying.

At first Ritsu though he was imagining it. He did have a vivid imagination after all and such time in lengthy solitude was bound to entice the mind to discern sounds that may or may not have been there. Unconsciously he supposed that when scared, one tends to perceive things differently. The sound could have been a rattling water pipe for all he knew.

Still, he remembered the way his body froze utterly and completely. The yawn that had been creeping up his throat was decapitated before it emerged from his lips and his eyelids shot up, curving backward over the eyeball until the orb nearly hung suspended. His fingers froze rigidly, extending forwards from his body as though reaching out for something; anything that might save him from the terror his own body was betraying him to. Forcing himself to breathe slowly and softly, Ritsu listened for the sound again and was rewarded as it filtered from the corner directly diagonal from him. It was softer this time, weaker somehow. Ritsu naturally could not see that far infront of him but he wasn't initially frightened, proposing that it might have been someone else who the elders had locked in here before him. It was unusual for two children to be locked in the Punishment Room at the same time but not unheard of.

He'd called to this other child and crawled toward her, hoping to establish contact in this desolate Hell hole they'd both been plunged. Company in such a place was a welcome commodity. When he reached the far corner however, there was no one there.

But the crying continued. From the very same spot in which he was crouching. And the floor seemed to throb to life beneath his feet. Something wet dropped down against his forehead and Ritsu wiped it absently, only jolting to a start when he felt the warmth of the fluid and it's density.

Something battered at his head. There was a creaking sound and then a light tap to his temple. Another wet droplet splattered directly into the center of his forehead.

And still the crying continued. Coming from directly above him...

Ritsu moved his hand away from the door and took a dissuading step away. That day had tattooed its' imprint on the inside of his mind, a tattoo he would never be able to remove.

When he screamed, his parents and the elders had arrived almost immediately, tentatively easing open one of the doors and allowing just a fraction of light to seep inside.

But that was enough. More than enough.

No one else had been able to see it, not at that moment anyway. The seven-year-old daughter of Deniko and Hoku Sohma had been locked in the Punishment Room three years earlier as punishment for a sin that no one even had the audacity to remember. The girl, driven insane by her time in isolation, tore at her flesh with her own nails, then somehow traversed the rafters of the small room and hanged herself by the cord of her kimono. Her parents found her later that evening and her death was never discussed amongst the younger members of the family, lest their fear of the room increase further.

That day, three years later that Ritsu had been locked in the room, was the anniversary of the little girls' suicide. Even in death her spirit had been unable to rest, having died by unnatural and deliberate means.

When the light came through the door, darkness peeled away from her like bandages. Her short black hair lifeless. Rivulets of gashes ran trails across her face, arms, chest, legs and parts of the body that Ritsu didn't dare imagine at such a young age. Her dead, dark eyes were focused on him in the fashion of an insectile alien as she swayed lifelessly back and forth from the rafter from which she had hanged herself. Sobs continued to slink through her mouth, despite the irregular angle of her neck, revealing the snapped bone that had peaked beneath the pale skin. Her bare feet had been battering Ritsu's face as she had rotated in a semi-circle beneath the rafters, like an angel suspended between Heaven and the real world.

To him, she appeared very real. But all the others could see was his petrified expression and the kimono cord they had left there for three years, swaying back and forth...

No one had believed him. Even after witnessing his terror, none had been able to accept that he had seen the memory of that little girl, frozen in mock vanity of her final few precious seconds of life. And on threat of being placed in the room again, Ritsu eventually stopped talking about it. As such, he very nearly believed that he had imagined the whole thing after all. It was possible.

But then... he'd never known the story of the girl's suicide. No one had ever told him, not until he'd revealed what he had seen in the Punishment Room. The adults had all been perplexed as to how he managed to find out, but then established it on the basis of his nosy, eavesdropping tendencies. The issue was never brought up again. And Ritsu was never placed in the Punishment Room again, which was the only bonus of the whole horrific experience.

It had been eleven years since he had even step foot near the door. There had always been some way to avoid it. Another hallway to take, another place to go, away from that cursed room. Even despite the fact that it had been some years since it had been used to punish anyone, it contained the sort of negative energy in abundance that a place does after something terrible happens. This event leaves a stain, a stain of memory and in that memory, the thoughts and feelings of whoever's memory it had been.

So many memories were staining the walls of that room. The creeping shadows from the corner ran around them and were devoured if it was not careful. Truly, there had been those in the family whom having known nothing about the particular's of that room, reported having an initial bad feeling about it. Even just in passing it to go down to the kitchen.

Ritsu wished that he could have been as brave as the others he'd known to have been locked inside that room. He wished he'd had been able to cope with it as Ayame had. As far as he knew, the snake had allowed nothing inflicted upon him in that darkness to pervade his thoughts.

The monkey leaned close hesitantly and placed his ear to the door, wondering if that little girl still cried in there. He didn't really expect to hear a sound. Some part of him still doubted the authenticity of his memory. However, whilst no one cried from within the room, Ritsu could have sworn he heard something else. Something far away, as though it were an old cassette tape being played through a paper bag. Someone crying out in pain... the sound of a whip striking flesh... someone screaming and someone laughing, all in the heat of darkness and violence.

Was there someone in there?

Ritsu gazed at the thick iron cast lock, clamped around the chains looping through the door handles. The chain and lock were both orange with rust an inch thick. It looked like the only way to get into the room was to physically break the lock itself; perhaps by hitting it hard enough with a strong weapon.

Like a sledgehammer perhaps...

Ritsu was pondering whether or not he should find someone to help him get into the room, when the sound of two people locked in hushed conversation reached his ears. It was a little hard to tell from a distance, but the pair sounded annoyed and likely to snap at anyone whom they encountered. Being possessed by an animal spirit gave Ritsu a sort of sixth sense when it came to these things. And being Ritsu, he didn't want to offend anybody by being caught snooping around a place that he obviously was not welcome.

The voices were coming closer and Ritsu decided that the best thing to do was make himself look scarce. He ducked behind a corner only to see that the passageway piddled off into a dead end, leaving him no available escape route. Well wasn't that just peachy? To top it off, two of the family elders had appeared from down the hallway that Ritsu had just been standing in, effectively trapping him down the dead-end hallway. Ritsu wondered where it was they had just come from. All of the rooms down that hallway were bedrooms and he certainly didn't hear or see anyone enter the hallway whilst he had been unpacking.

He risked a quick glance and visibly winced at the sight of Arata. The beautiful, but cold faced Head of the Elder's whom had served Tamiko before her son Akito had taken over as Family Master. With her, was the recluse but generally broad minded and warm hearted Nori; the elder responsible for making records of events in the Sohma family and listing all the people whom had come across the Secret and those that had had their memory erased. Ritsu had heard that Nori was Kureno's father, though it was difficult to see the resemblance. Nori, whilst an elder, seemed much more open and easy going than his stoic son. His hair was a dusky red, the color of old blood and the deep lines running across his still handsome face, revealed the expressive nature of the man himself. A smile highlighted by these lines showed that he had laughed much in life and the wavy curves along his forehead revealed he had also had much trial and concern. Ritsu risked another look and saw that Nori had a bundle of papers in his hand; some that looked suspiciously like newspaper articles, old and recent alike. He was addressing Arata in a smooth, but frank voice.

"Or course I'm angry." Were the first words Ritsu was able to make out. "You know very well how I feel about the decimation of my literary records, Arata."

The woman's lips were set thin across her face, almost resembling a scar. "It's not as though I am asking you to destroy _all_ your files Nori. Just the one's pertaining to the God's Bane. This is very important."

Ritsu ducked his head out of view as the elders made their way into the lounge area just opposite from where he was hiding. Now would be a good chance to get away, but what the elder's were discussing piqued his interest. He didn't want to cause any problems at the Main House, least of all be a nuisance. But... he had heard mention of this _Bane _amongst the servants gossiping in the hallway. Impudent as it may be, Ritsu couldn't forbid leniency with his curiosity and decided to continue listening. Trying to walk like a self-conscious ninja, he crept forward toward the sliding door and crouched just out of sight beyond the wall, observing the two figures through the thin paper. Nori and Arata's conversation went on, unperturbed.

"I understand that." Nori said in response to Arata's statement. "But – the documents are well concealed. It just seems foolish to deal away with the only evidence of _it _that we have. Why can I not be trusted to keep them hidden?"

Arata sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose between the pinch of two fingers. It was the posture of a dignified person trying to hide their impatience.

"It's not a matter of whether or not I trust you Nori. If it were, I would allow sole responsibility of the documents to fall to you, such is my faith in your capabilities. However –" At this she raised a finger. "We must now take into consideration the master's restlessness. Knowing full well the stubbornness of the boy he would stop at no length to get what he wants." With a glance at the open doorway, she lowered her voice. "If he wants these records to prove the Bane's existence – _to bring him back again – _he will. That is why we must destroy them, Nori. To purge their memories forever by cleansing of fire. Akito must not learn of the Bane. He must never remember that- ... that _malignant abomination! _Or it shall be the end of us." She paused and there was notable desperation in her voice as she spoke again. "For God's sake Nori, _burn the records._"

There was a long silence settling uncomfortably upon the room. Ritsu rubbed at his shin as it began to prickle with the heat of pins and needles.

Nori eventually spoke and with much reluctance. "... All right."

Arata sighed in relief. "Good. ... Now listen; there are some matters I must deal with, so please commence the cleansing on your own."

"You do mean to evict that tape don't you?" Nori asked as Arata made her way over to the door. She hesitated, her hand set on the frame as Ritsu, no less than two feet away from her, shrank back further toward the dead end hallway, praying that she wouldn't look down and see him. "... I must say..." Nori continued. "I never believed that the boy had it in him. The nerve to deceive us like that."

Arata regarded him casually over one shoulder, her long bangs swaying to cover one eye in perfect alignment to her actions. At that moment, she reminded Ritsu uncannily of someone he knew, but the thought passed before he was even able to consider it properly.

"Never believed it? Come now Nori; is it so hard to believe? Your own son proved that he was more than capable of deceiving us along with the Bane." She closed her eyes and smiled a little, a slight chuckle escaping from between her lips. "Despite the irregularity of just what he is, the Bane did indeed have great love for the master. That love... conquered all fear of the consequences we could bestow upon him." She paused as though thinking back to something. "But so long as that fear keeps him away, we can relax."

Nori nodded, agreeing. "After the Sanctioning my dear, I highly doubt that any could summon such courage to set foot here again. And even if he dared, he would be unrecognizable I imagine."

Arata considered this and seemed to find it reasonable. She turned her face back toward the hallway.

"Well... I shall be back soon. I will go speak with Susumu. Perhaps he will have some idea as to how we can remove the tape."

"Do you think that direct force may be the only absolution?" Nori wondered.

Arata's voice was prim, dismissive. "I would prefer it, if it would not come to that. The nature of such direct action would be highly suspicious."

With that she left, without so much as a sideways glance to the eavesdropping monkey crouching near her feet. Ritsu released a soft sigh of relief and delicately stretched his neck forward, craning his face into parallel alignment of the doorframe. He took in the situation at a glance. Nori went over to the open fireplace and knelt down beside it, placing a small number of newspaper clippings and sheets of withered paper on the floor beside him. The fireplace has been made in the old traditional Western style, at request of one of the previous family master's, whom had acquired a taste for Western architecture. Nori searched his robes, presumably for matches with which to light the fire and came up empty handed. He scanned the room and seemed to come to the conclusion that there was nothing there to light the fire with and climbed to his feet. Ritsu shrank back, trying to make himself as small as possible as Nori approached the door and emerged into the hallway, heading in the direction of the kitchen. Ritsu eyed the abandoned notes like a starving wolf about to leap upon a plump sheep.

__

'Why shouldn't the family master see these notes?' He wondered, glancing quickly to Nori's retreating back. The elder was bound to notice him on the return trip to decimate the notes; Ritsu was in direct eyeshot. But his active curiosity was still getting the better of him. He wanted to see what was on that paper. _'And... what do they mean by 'Bane?'_

With one final glance at the kitchen, the last of Ritsu's self control evaporated. He knew it was ridiculous to allow himself to become entangled in the affairs of the Main House, but something... he wasn't quite sure what, was prompting him to take those articles. It was as though he had some irresistible obligation to find out what the Elder's were concealing... for Akito.

Ritsu didn't allow himself another moment's hesitation. He darted into the room and knelt down to examine the notes. There were a bunch of newspaper clippings, the most recent one dating a few days back, some old formal looking parchment with elegant katakana scrawled all over the surface and a lonely cassette tape that he had not noticed before. There was no label and the tag had been removed, even the company logo had been scratched from the surface. Ritsu lifted the paper into his hands and considered. Altogether there really wasn't much there. Only three or four articles and a couple of pages, handwritten by Nori undoubtedly.

Speak of the elder, Ritsu froze as he heard the older man's footsteps approach. He glanced in terror at the paper in his hands, realizing that he was about to get caught. And if they wanted to conceal whatever this was from the Family Master, imagine what they would do to a cursed family member!

There was only one thing to do. With Nori's footsteps pounding in his ears, matching the elevated beating of his heart; Ritsu tugged the waistband of his jeans outward and stuffed the tape and paper between the crack of his buttocks. He winced a little at the uncomfortable feeling and visibly pinched his bottom together tighter as Nori entered the room, a pack of matches in one hand. He blinked at the shy boy and suddenly furrowed his brows, remembering just what it was he had been in the process of.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" He asked, in a dangerously polite voice.

Ritsu made a point to jump as though surprised. It wasn't difficult to emit an overtly shocked exterior, when his interior was close to quaking from his kidneys to his toes.

"Ooh! Mr. Nori, you startled me."

Nori's voice was cold. "Answer the question."

"I'm sorry! Is it wrong to be here?" Ritsu yelped, thinking that he sounded just a little too guilty. "I just – " Looking around, he spied his shining savour in a video tape called _The Grudge _and snatched it up, holding the cover out for Nori's inspection. "- came in here to watch I movie, I did! Am I not supposed to be in here?"

Nori regarded him from behind the picture of a young boy with baking powder foundation and a bad eyeliner job. The cursed monkey sounded so innocent, that he almost gave up his act to appear stern and disconcerted, right there. Then he noticed that the documents were missing.

"... Where are the articles that I left beside the fireplace?"

Ritsu hoped the sweat pouring down the back of his neck wasn't visible to the other man. "Articles, you say?"

"Newspaper articles." Nori took another step into the room, purposefully trying to make himself seem imposing. "And paper."

Ritsu made a show of examining the fireplace thoroughly and then looking about the room. He shrugged softly. "I didn't see anything like that in here sir. I'm sorry, but I just came in from a very long trip and all I wanted was to relax in here for a while. But – if you want, I can leave." He placed the video tape down on the ledge he had acquired it and started to make for the door, walking from the knee's down, less he dislodge the notes from their hiding place.

Nori slid the door shut. "Not yet. How do I know for sure that you didn't take the articles?"

Ritsu's bottom lip trembled as he slowly edged away from the elder in very short steps. "What makes you think I would do something like that?!" He almost sobbed, virtually on the brink of tears. "I don't want to cause any trouble!"

The elder set the matches on the table next to him and in a movement surprisingly agile for a man his age, he had closed the gap between them and had grasped Ritsu by the shoulders. His thumbs pressed hard into the oval shape of the boy's upper arms.

"Did you take the articles?" He asked forthright. Fiercely.

Ritsu felt tears trailing down his cheeks and he had to fight the urge to simply throw himself on the elder's mercy and surrender the articles. He knew if he did, it would only mean more trouble. Especially considering where they had been and all.

"No! I don't know what you're talking about!" He whimpered, trying to wrench himself free of Nori's grip. When the other man's fists tightened, Ritsu felt a sudden rush of panic hit him. Nori was deadly serious. Serious enough to perpetuate actual harm upon him, if he thought he was lying. He gasped and pulled backward, astounded at the elder gentleman's strength. There was no way he was going to let him go.

"Nori, what do you think you're doing?" A dark voice sounded from the hallway. Ritsu arched up on the tips of his toes to see over Nori's shoulder. Nobu stood by the doorway, obviously alerted by the pained simpers of Ritsu from within the room. At his presence, Nori immediately released his hold on the monkey, who fell back rubbing at the tender marks left on his bicep muscles.

"This boy may have taken some..." Nori glanced generally at Ritsu and then made a pointed expression at Nobu, inviting him to interpret his hidden meaning. "_- paper _that is of some importance to me."

Nobu did not seem to understand the implication of Nori's words. On the contrary, he appeared bored and had taken to studying a scar on his left hand.

"Did you see him take it? The paper I mean." He asked.

Nori appeared suddenly abashed by his harsh accusations; as though he were a young boy caught in the act of an activity he knew to be wrong. He glanced down at his hands; face slightly flushed around his firm cheekbones.

"Well... no." He admitted. "But I left them here for barely a minute while I went to retrieve some matches and when I came back _he _was here and the articles were gone."

Ritsu blinked back the stinging tears that hung suspended from his eyelashes, rubbing at the raw patches on his wrists. The man's grip had been vice like; the very semblance of a dying vulture desperately grasping a hold of decaying meat it intended to tear from the bone. Ritsu wondered if this had been worth it. He couldn't go back now, but what stupidity had possessed him to get involved in the first place? He was meant to be minding his own business!

"I'm sorry! I just came in here to watch a movie!" Ritsu insisted, using the conveyance of his own uncertainty and fear to invoke some belief from the men. He had read once that the most successful deploying tactic in distracting ones opponent, was by lulling them into a false sense of security in which they undermined your skills and abilities; allowing you an upper hand in deploying their attention elsewhere. Blunt honesty, was usually the most convincing. Especially to those people who had difficulty lying without blushing or fumbling across their words like a lock jawed child with a lisp and no front teeth. Not that Ritsu was used to falling into these types of situations, but now inevitably so he would have to perform aptly or else find himself in a whole Hell of trouble. Trouble he doubted he, and his hypochondriac parents especially, needed. "Sirs, I honestly did not see any pieces of paper! I swear!"

Nori's complexion darkened and a vein throbbed visibly in his forehead, discerning his more than apparent frustration at the whole sordid situation. Nobu on the other hand, wore a softer more contemplative and less judgmental expression. He raked a hand through his thinning hair and sighed reluctantly.

"Your word is no good boy." He said at last, his voice sinking a nuance beneath the steady husky overture of his deep baritone. Casually, making it appear as non-threatening as possible, he reached behind him and pinned the door closed, containing them all to the boundaries of the room. Ritsu swallowed noisily and backed up a few steps, knees firmly stapled together. "If this... _paper _has been misplaced, then we must assume that you are a possible suspect."

The monkey backed up another step; consciously trying to reserve his tears to the brink of absolute diminish of self-control. The shame and guilt he immediately felt for what he had done was encompassing to his gentle and humble nature. On the verge of submitting to the older men's designs, a sudden flash of a prior event unfolded in his mind. Of Akito crying by the piano, for the vanquishing of the life preserver that had been his mother and the amount of pain that tiny, sickened boy was being put through. The Sohma family had been put through so much already and even though Akito's hands were not clean from the exacting of cruel misdemeanors, Ritsu mercifully perceived him as being a victim in the curse also. For him to see his parents die like that before him, to leave him alone to the mercy of the family elders whom sought to, even now, conceal the very facts that could possibly make his transition into death easier, for him to have to invariably _suffer _in such a cruel and hostile way... He'd been through so much and Ritsu could only see the boy's true vulnerability, when he had seen him cry in denial for the one person whom had given him hope. When he had seen the young boy, the Sohma family master, despair at the suicide of his mother whom had stolen his hope by proving that none had been so strong as to resist the Sohma curse. It would consume them all, take them all down into death kicking and screaming whilst it devoured their souls to absolute carnage. For it to end this way, for Akito to receive no remuneration for the pain he had been put through, for the pain he had put others through... _No. _No. Ritsu couldn't allow such travesty to simply be eradicated by the flames of purification. Not while he held the potential to set some small favors right anyway.

This silent reassurance was enough to strengthen his resolve and the demure brunette lifted his chin, feigning confidence and met the twin blue pools of Nobu, prompting him to continue this pointless interface.

"I'm sorry but... I don't know what you want me to do. I don't have your notes." He repeated firmly.

Nobu's eyes flashed ice fire. "Take off your clothes." He said.

For a moment, Ritsu thought he must have heard wrong. Surely they weren't going to make him strip to prove his innocence... were they? They didn't have the power to make him do that? Recoiling slightly, he consciously tightened his buns around the notepaper, trying not to let the clenching of the muscle whisper secrets of the action to the other parts of his body.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Take off your clothes." Nobu repeated, seeming less then concerned regarding Ritsu's dignity and personal feelings on the matter.

The monkey felt his back hit the far wall beside the t.v and gasped in alarm, before registering what had caused the contact. He was blushing furiously, face so red that you could have cooked a raw egg on it.

"I... I- I don't want to. Please... I don't have your notes!" He babbled, clasping a hold of his shirtfront as though to make sure that it was still there. Nobu seemed amused by his reaction and chuckled, waving a hand soothingly.

"Don't worry, son. We only want you to strip down to your underwear so that we can check your pockets."

Ritsu by now was flailing up against the wall, truly in the nature of his animal spirit counterpart with all intention of fleeing to higher ground. His crimson face was streaked with sweat, his eyes bulging with disbelief.

"Can't you just check my pockets with my clothes _on?!_" He wailed.

The elder shook his head solemnly. "I'm afraid not. Now, let's just get this over with, hmm?"

Before he could so much as blink, Ritsu found himself forcefully snatched of his shirt, rigid fingers prying at the buttons and zipper at the waistband of his jeans. All too wary of the paper wedged into his boxer shorts (and being a shy lad besides) Ritsu pointedly shoved the prying hands away and removed the jeans himself, kicking his shoes to the side and sliding the material down past his feet. With a sigh, he dutifully handed the garments over and pressed his back firmly to the far wall, shivering in discomfort as the two men went through his pockets. This was _so _embarrassing. Why did this have to happen to him of all people? If it was Ayame standing there, he would have been able to talk himself out of undressing in a riotously and undoubtedly witty fashion, leaving the two elders stumped for words as he sauntered out of the room, knees apart and the paper not visibly causing him any discomfort in its' hiding place. But that was Ayame, not Ritsu. Boorish, pathetic Ritsu who was stupid and couldn't do anything right. He couldn't help but allow the tears reverence, a single moist dew drop sliding across his cheek, plucked from his soul by the cord whimper made by his tongue striking the back of his throat. Why was it that no one had any respect for him? He tried to be a good person; to treat people with the same reverence and respect that he himself much desired to be accorded but he never seemed able to obtain it.

These self-deprecating thoughts were broken by the heavy sound of Nori casting Ritsu's garments back at his feet. He exhaled and expressed his annoyance in a high pitched snort.

"All right, he hasn't got them." He grunted as Ritsu hurriedly struggled back into his clothes. "But where could they be I wonder? How could they _possibly _go missing in the space of a minute?"

"Someone else must have come in before this man." Nobu established accordingly, tapping the side of his nose in the gesture one might make to 'keep Mom' about a particular matter. "Maybe a servant cleaned them up. I'll speak with Naoko. He'll gather all the servants together and question them." He placed a reassuring hand on Nori's robed shoulder. "Never fear my friend... we'll find them." Nori merely grunted in reply.

Ritsu smothered a sigh of relief as the two men made their way out of the room, their business with him immediately forgotten. He shifted a little at the feeling of the paper between his buttocks, but didn't dare risk removing them until he was in the reasonable privacy of his stay in room

__

'That was close.' He thought, extending a gentle pat of reassurance to his rear end. _'I wonder what's so important about these articles. And this... uh... tape...'_

The tape alone was extremely uncomfortable and Ritsu took no time in returning to his room in order to peruse the notes. He locked the door once inside but even then wasn't completely satisfied with this level of security and could only relax once he had pushed the dresser up against the door. It took quite a bit of effort to move the old mahogany furniture but was glad he went to the effort. Only then did he feel safe to remove the paper and spread the articles out across his bed in what appeared to be order by date. He set the tape off to the side for later inspection and setting himself against the headboard of the bed, one leg bent at the knee and the other casually slung over the peak, began to read the articles in order. Each one appeared to be cut hastily from a newspaper, whilst the smaller documented paper scribbled in kanji, appeared to describe details specific to the Sohma family itself. Ritsu decided to examine the newspaper articles first, which were shorter than the documents.

**__**

May 26, 1997

At approximately 11:30 PM last night, a young man with substantial injuries covering his body was found on the outskirts of the Sohma family property, on the border of the old dirt road located in the southern region of the prefecture. He was discovered by a man from a neighboring family and was immediately taken to the local hospital where he was treated for multiple trauma and blood loss. The length of the man's body was covered in deep gashes, including the souls of his feet and both sides of his face. His tongue had been struck from his mouth by use of an instrument that cut cleanly through both cheeks, passing between the upper and lower rows of his teeth. There were also a great series of deep puncture marks depicted behind the man's knees, shoulders and calf muscles, as though he had been struck repeatedly with what appears to have been an unidentified thorned weapon of some description. Police investigators have ruled out local rumors of the man being involved in forbidden Shinto rituals within the Sohma family, but have not dismissed the possibility that the man may have had some involvement in the family itself. Locals believe that he had fallen victim to malicious ritualistic Shinto torture, a ritual they are claiming bears the name of 'The Sanctioning'; for deeds of treachery against the family to which you are tied. An idea that is not so far fetched, as reported by surgeons who have found evidence of the involuntary application of the seppuku, _an inflection that split the man's stomach open completely._

Doctors at the hospital have little hope to the young man's survival, due to the critical condition in which he was found the severity of the injuries and the fast spread infection of the wounds already. Nevertheless, he made it through the night and seems stable for the time being.

The young man has not yet been identified, due to the severity of his injuries and the lack of personal identification found on him at the time of his discovery. He is believed to be approximately twenty to twenty one years of age.

The Sohma family has yet to make a statement regarding the incident. Police have taken into consideration the previous circumstances surrounding the recluse family and the many unsolved disappearances that have occurred within and around their land. They plan on questioning the young man himself once he has recovered from surgery.

The next article appeared to follow on from this. It read:

**__**

May 30, 1997

The young man discovered in a critical state on Sohma property on the 26th of May fell into a coma this morning following surgery to staunch internal bleeding in his abdomen. Police were due to question him following the operation and have been forced to stall their investigations. The man has yet to be identified and no relatives have come forth to claim association with him. He stands at roughly 2 meters (6 ft) in height with shoulder length chestnut hair and scarlet eyes with a wide diameter and distinct lack of pupil and retina. Police are encouraging anyone familiar with this man to come forward.

The final article was very recent. It was dated yesterday and the edges were ragged, as though it had been torn hurriedly from the newspaper it had originally resided before anyone else could lay eyes on it.

**__**

May 29, 2004

After seven years in a coma that nearly took his life, the mysterious young man found tortured to the point of death on the old Sohma road, disappeared from the 'Kyoto Special Care Facility' in what was believed to be the early hours of the morning. A malfunction of all security equipment at the supposed time of his departure meant that there was no proof of his exit from the facility. No witnesses saw him leave or viewed anyone entering into the man's room during this time.

Siako Miichi, a nurse currently employed by "KSCF" was on her annual rounds and reported that the bed in which the stranger had been residing for the past seven years was vacant when she checked in and that the bandages bound to the man's healing body were strewn about the floor. Nothing appeared to have been misplaced. The man is believed to have left of his own accord and there is no evidence that he was assisted by any means, in that of transportation or by another acting individual.

Police are looking into the disappearance and have reinstated investigation into the Sohma family. They deny any association with the man and foremost saw fit to remind the investigating detectives that their presence was no longer appropriate, as it caused the terminally ill family master distress. The family master himself was unavailable for comment.

There wasn't anymore. Ritsu lowered the newspaper articles to the bed, his mouth a solemn line. He had no doubt that the Sohma's consulted on this mysterious man's disappearance had been the Family Elder's, seeking to conceal their involvement and his identity. _Could this man have been the 'Bane' they were talking about?_

The articles lead no answer to his procrastination and Ritsu turned his attention to the old crumpled sheet, folded in various sections. As he pulled the leaflets back, Ritsu was surprised to discover that the document itself was quite long and pertained to part of the original zodiac fable. It looked as though it had been copied from an old book, perhaps the original copy of the zodiac fable kept by the Sohma family exclusively. It certainly looked as though it was extracted from the same text.

__

Once all 12 of the animals had arrived, God wrote their names down in his book and created the Jikkan Junishi. As they were all sitting down to enjoy the New Year's banquet, a black Kitsure fox arrived at the door and called out to the God. God was very kind and he explained to the fox that the 12 Emperor animals had already been chosen and there was no room left at the table.

To which, the fox merely smiled and a small flame burned above his head. This startled the dog, who barked in alarm and the black fox became a tall daemon with sinful eyes. The God acknowledged this and was intrigued; though he could sense the animosity of the creature before him. Nevertheless, he found that he was startled by the beings dark splendor. The fox-spirit smiled and spat a magic pearl from its' mouth, offering it to the Celestial God as a New Years Gift. God refused the gift, because he had no need of material possessions. But his refusal offended the dark creature and shadows leapt into its' eyes.

"Why to which reason do you refuse my offer?" It asked angrily. "I extend a token of good will, to which you spit in my face! Why so? Why so, when I commit this act of the noblest of intentions?"

By now, God had realized whom the dark one was – a servant of O'yama, from the Nether world, guardian of all the beings of the shadow realms. Yurei, demon's, Oni, tengu. The dark none saw that God knew and laughed at his hesitation. It mocked the God, questioning him over his choice for the Jikkan Junishi. He asked why none of his subjects were allowed to compete, as they too were part of world's life. God explained that the beings of the Nether Regions could not be trusted to guard the passing of the years. Yurei were impure, mortal guises filled with nothing but the bitter feelings over their own deaths. The animals of the shadows, such as the tengu, were manipulative and could not be trusted. Demon's wandered between the living and the dead; inspiring havoc or misleading the foolish. Creatures not altogether evil, but whom are tricksters who enjoy playing practical jokes. At this, the dark one burst into laughter, claiming that he, as a daemon, required no lecture in how he passed his days.

"Ah, but my Lord, you are most foolish and have so been mislead!" The daemon laughed. "For thou art so determined to filter thy table of all the impurities of thine malignant realm, thou hast let one of mine own through the door already. By consideration, did you not bat an eye when one of my children lashed its' teeth at the feet of one of your own?"

God realized what he had done and turned in horror to the snake – the creature that the evil, miserable wretches of humanity became after death. Who men became because their desires are not met during life. The Celestial God was horrified and threatened to cast the snake out, but the dog and dragon leapt to its' defense, claiming its' innocence. The Dark One saw the trepidation it had caused and was pleased. It suggested to God that the Celestial One might confront him in hand to hand combat, so that he might defend his child's right to remain as one of the Jikkan Junishi. God witnessed the Dark One's all encompassing dominion over all that was different and threatening, and felt it's desire to suppress that which opposed his every value. The God did not want to fight because he saw no profit in violence, but feared the darkness of the snake and how it might contaminate all Creation beneath his hand. So with that in mind, he agreed to confront the demon and they established that the conflict would be waged in the Land of the Living, so neither could draw an unfair advantage from their own realms.

The daemon left and all the animals had a wonderful time at the banquet. But the God could not remove the Dark Lord's presence from his mind and he spent the rest of the evening in quiet meditation; gathering his strength from the upcoming confrontation.

The very next day he informed all his subjects as to his intentions and made ready to leave and confront his adversary. Through the darkness of the earth's night, he propelled himself through the skies and set himself down upon the earth, in a place free from people and potential fatalities.

The Dark One was not yet there, so God waited and counted off the seconds. For each second he counted a different breed of tree sprung from the earth around all the world and each minute that passed, the rivers of Japan separated and stretched out to every corner of the earth.

After he had waited a considerable length of time, God suddenly became aware of the world's distortion about him – and the light of the sun failed to reach every nook and cranny as it once could. Shadows appeared from whence none had every appeared before and the earth trembled beneath the footsteps of the Dark One as it approached, causing earthquakes and tsunami's. The God knew that this made his people suffer and he was saddened. He demanded the Dark One depart but the daemon just laughed and cast his hand over God's face. The Celestial One was overcome by the incomprehensible seduction of darkness, the tendrils that sought to choke his power and he withdrew to the farthest reaches of his consciousness, drawing away from the shadow. The daemon watched in delight as it saw God retreat from him and tightened his control. God could no longer resist and his power drained away to the Nether Regions, leaving him weakened and saturated in darkness. He collapsed to the ground, his mind clouded by infernal damnation.

Throughout it all, the Dark One observed the Celestial One's struggle against its' malevolent web and found itself enamoured, despite the darkness burning in its' heart. With eyes softened by the admiration of the others tenaciousness, the daemon bowed its' waist to meet the God's eyes.

"Why do you fight my power?" It asked, curious in spite. "Does the presence of my child in your calendar threaten you so? For the snake is of no harm to you, I assure you."

"You deceived me to admit him." God replied, weary from his struggles against the shadow.

The daemon was capricious. "Did not your Rat forsake the Cat and Ox to be where he is now? Is that no less than my deception, my Lord? My act was out of hurt that you did not think to include us in your festivities. For darkness we may be, but we more so hunger for happiness than those that are constantly exposed to light."

God was able to sense the daemon's sadness and he had sympathy for the creature, thought there was much malevolence within its' soul and it tainted the world around them. God was very kind and loved his people and knew he must protect them. So he took advantage of the Dark One's lapse in control and broke free of the veiled containment, drawing on his strength to suppress the other. The anger of his bright and perfect world and the people within it fueled his energy and he leapt towards the Dark One – wielding the vast incantations of his Heavenly Light. The daemon shied away from the bright glow, its' skin blistering from its' energy and fought back with the astringency of the Nether World; shadows seeking to consume that which sought to consume it. In this new light, the daemon saw things such as he'd never seen before: A vast and expansive world in which the shadows were sharper by contrast with the searing, blistering light; each existing in harmony of a gentle caress and soft whispers between the fall and rise of the moon.

As God advanced, pride overcame the Dark One's thoughts and he refused to accept the exquisite perfection of such peace between the opposing factors. The hatred in him desired to consume all and he arched his dark energy to the sky, shattering it like shards of glass as blackness punctured light and night was born. Each shard became the stars and sweat flying from the ethereal beings brows became the moon and sun as the intensity of their battle escalated.

God too saw the electrifying mosaic of inter playing light and dark energies, dancing like ripples of water beneath the slap of their feet. It allured him and he understood in that moment of subjugation the effect that their opposing lambency was having on this neutral world. A world he thought to be perfect in his design – he could not see just how beautiful it truly was, until the darkness was therein. He wanted to stop and observe the changes around him, but the delicate balance of his children's fate overthrew his curiosity and he fought back against the dark creature with all his might.

They continued to fight until all reason for their battle became as lost to them as the passing of time. As they fought, the natural disasters of the world were born. The clashing of their opposing forces split the earth open into jagged maws and the screams of their voices created disease and epidemics.

The ferocity of their battle escalated until light and dark entwined and the entire world on which their battle raged had changed altogether. They slept and when they awoke, muscles aching and eyelids heavy, each stood upon the mighty precipice and looked down upon the wake they had left behind.

God began to cry before he even looked, for he feared that their petty argument had soiled the perfection he'd worked so hard to build. That the lives of all his children were vanquished along with his light. The Dark One saw his tears and was saddened. It took the God's hand and extended it out to see the world that was born of the two ethereal beings.

"Your light is not gone." It assured. "Look, you ridiculous fool."

The God looked and gazed upon ALL as the memory of their entangled passion returned. The daemon laughed as he cried, but there was no mockery in its' voice. Light and Shadows shaped everything. Clouds veiled the sun and now the rain came more often, helping the crops to grow. The people lived and still WERE, but they were all different. No one was like the other. Each was Each and Each was New. The full extent of the overwhelming beautiful realm before him, made the Celestial One realize how narrow minded he had been and how darkness had the right for a place in the world, just as light did.

The daemon reached out his arm and took God into its' embrace. Light and Shadow intertwined and danced from one another's throes of passion as they came together. Their conflict had been the act of destiny and they could no longer deny their attraction to one another. As luck had allowed this world to come into being, luck became the element of the Jikkan Junishi, as the black fox became a symbol of it. For though each element opposed one another, there is no light without dark – and darkness has no place without light. Their dependence on one another is the Union that shapes All Creation.

Yet the God was in turmoil. For though he recognized and acknowledged his love for the Dark One, he knew that there was no place in the Celestial Realm or the Nether Region that could bear them as lovers. So aggrieved was he by this revelation, that the God's light began to fade and his strength withered to the Shadow Realm where the Dark One had bound him at the outset of their battle.

When the daemon saw what was happening, it screamed in fury and gouged its' own eyes out in punishment, leaving behind the gaping scarlet canals were the shadows had once thrived. Such was its' devotion to protect the Celestial One, that the Dark One threw itself to the gaping chasm for all eternity – to suffer endless pain in order to prevent the death of its' beloved light. By the Dark One's sacrifice, God was reborn and he immediately set out to demonstrate his gratitude, by establishing the daemon as a guardian of the Jikkan Junishi: The Black Daemon of the Zodiac; the protector of the Celestial One and opposing force of all creations negative spirit; the Nigi-mi-tama.

Yet all those in the Celestial Realm and the Neutral Realm of Life, saw the daemon for what it idolized; as a purely evil entity. As their savour and symbol of life, God was worshipped as the Celestial Spirit of all the represented good in the essence of purity and grace. In opposition, darkness, disgrace and even luck in its purely negative form represented the creature whom gave its' life in sacrifice of the Celestial God. Pervaded by the introduction of early Christian Religions, this figure came to represent the Adversary, known as Lucifer, Shaitan, Beelzebub, O'yama, Asmoday, Pyro, Nebiros, Leviathan, Flereous, Bile, Amy, Mephistopheles, depending on the religion. In reference to the original beliefs of the Jikkan Junishi, the founding religion primary in accordance of the Sohma family itself; this adversary became known in less abrasive terms as; "The God's Bane."

When the Celestial God witnessed the dismissal of his beloved, he became infuriated and set out to establish its rightful place amongst the people that would see it damned. In the Infernal Regions of which the Black Daemon itself was suspended, the Celestial One found and mated with it, producing a child birthed by unnatural demonic means. From these two opposing forces that shaped All Creation, the God of the Jikkan Junishi was born; its' purpose when summoned alone is to recreate the world in the image of the Two Father's, where Dark and Light can coexist as One.

By reverence, we must pray in anticipation of the coming of the God of the Jikkan Junishi; one whom will correct the wrongs of the world and establish a rightful place among the skies for the Sacrifice of the God's Bane.

Ritsu lowered the pages in a kind of numb haze, trying to interpret as much of the information as was possible. He'd read and re-read the zodiac fable a thousand times before, but never had he considered the old story to be the basis for some sort of occult religion. But that is what he appeared to be holding in his hands; a short handwritten scripture of the main belief of this Jikkan Junishi religion. '_Did the Sohma family originally worship these 'Ethereal Two Fathers' and the God of the Jikkan Junishi?' _Ritsu wondered, folding the paper up gently, following the well worn creases in its' surface. _'Geez... what a mind job. I knew the Elder's were strict about their practices within the family, but I wouldn't have thought it was in accordance to this bizarre cult stuff. Do they _still _follow it, I wonder? Are they really awaiting this 'Jikkan Junishi' God, like some sort of twisted, sick Jesus Christ? The whole thing seems kind of wrong to me...'_

One thing was for certain though; this second biblical half of the fable must have some relation back to the newspaper articles, pertaining to the boy found tortured on the Old Sohma road. And since the Elder's made reference to 'The God's Bane', it seemed feasible, at least in Ritsu's opinion, to assume that the mysterious man was the adversary figure mentioned in the old document.

"The protector of the God..." He whispered, fingernails tracing thoughtfully over the worn paper. "I guess it makes sense... the Elder's have always made a big deal over the fact that Akito represents the God of the zodiac... Never realized how deep this thing actually ran though... Are they trying to _birth _this Jikkan Junishi God then? By having the Black Daemon _mate _with the God? That doesn't seem possible! If they're both boys then how the Hell do they expect Akito to pop out a kid!" Ritsu's head nearly jolted from his neck as he recalled the title of the Celestial One's from the passage he had just read. 'The Two Father's.' 'A demonic conception.'

It didn't seem surprising that a biblical text could refer to the homosexual union between individuals as demonic, especially if it had been pervaded by early Christian beliefs as it had mentioned. Was the notion that perfection could be established only through the committed act of sin? That _seemed _to be what it suggested. Ritsu wasn't sure. This stuff all went a bit over his head and he inwardly accused himself of his stupidity. _'What good is stealing this stuff, if you have no idea what the Hell you are waffling on about!'_

None of this made sense. If the man in the articles was indeed this 'God's Bane' and the Elder's did indeed desire to insurrect their 'Jikkan Junishi God', why was he found mutilated on the Old Sohma road when he should have been at the estate, impregnating Akito or what not? And even if his attack had been some sort of accident, why didn't the Elder's step forward to claim association with him? Why were they trying to hide his existence from Akito? Ritsu could not recall having ever seen any man on the estate matching the description of the individual in the articles.

There was a fine line between A and B here and Ritsu could not make his fingers thread that connection no matter how hard he tried. Maybe the whole thing was baloney, and he was simply making himself as crazy and as paranoid as the elder's himself by stressing over it. What nonsense! God's and demon's... it was utterly ridiculous!

But then again... who was he to point fingers? He was a boy who turned into a monkey when hugged by a member of the opposite sex. Still, religions always came up with various reasons to explain and justify everything and this certainly could be no exception. All Creation could not be defined by two amorous gay beings slogging it out all over earth any more then it could be explained by Adam and Eve taking a bite out of an apple. It was ridiculous.

Utterly frustrated by his strenuous thoughts, Ritsu slapped the paper onto the bedside table and pressed the heel of his hand into his left eye, rubbing away at the tension he felt suspended there. He jumped as something hit the floor and looked over to see the tiny health ball he kept as a key chain, go rolling across the floor and disappear under the chest of drawers he had hauled in front of the door. Ritsu exclaimed sharply and immediately leapt down off of the bed, skidding onto his fours to examine the space beneath the old mahogany furniture. The ball had rolled all the way back until it could go no further; pressed to the narrow gap beneath the hinged doorway. Ritsu could have easily reached it should he have pushed the chest of drawers back into place, but he was tired from his trip and didn't think he could muster the energy to do so until it was absolutely necessary. Such as for a toilet break or in the event of fire. There had to be something long he could use to reach the health ball.

Ritsu climbed to his feet and dusted his knees off, looking around the small but cosy room. His cupboard was propped open from before, where he had been stacking his clothing and a few steel hangers were swaying lightly in the mostly empty space. Right now they looked like the best bet to reach the key chain ball.

Ritsu unhooked one of the hangers and made his way back over to the cupboard, squatting down on his knees again and peering under. Trying to keep the ball in his line of sight, he slid the hand holding the hanger beneath the old furniture and tapped at the jangling key chain, trying to prompt it to roll in his direction. The little ball seemed content to elude his grasp and rolled to the left, following the gap lining beneath the door. Ritsu mumbled a demure complaint and made an extra excited lunge and this time was rewarded for his efforts by the hooked curve of the hanger sinking into the soft, slightly mildew wood at the base of the chest of drawers. He exhaled sharply and muttered a small curse, making a mental note to wash his mouth out before he kissed his mother again. He tugged sharply trying to dislodge the hook but it appeared to have penetrated through the gap at the back of the bottom drawer and was pulling away at the soft base. This was not good. Not only had he managed to steal some important (yet slightly ludicrous) paper from the elder's, but now he was going to go to the extreme and once again, destroy his hosts' property. Ritsu congratulated himself on being such a considerate houseguest and gave the hanger an aggressive yank. As he was sadly expecting, the base of the chest of drawers was tugged forward, forcefully slamming the bottom drawer against his face. Ritsu's chin jolted up, causing his upper row of teeth to snap down over his bottom lip, drawing blood. The pain was so sharp it brought tears to his eyes for a second and he quickly pressed his fingers to his split lip, trying not to look at the blood on his fingertips as he tried to ebb the bleeding.

"Oww " He whimpered pitifully, drawing his lip back into his mouth and sucking on it. The blood tasted slightly bitter to him, but it was better then actually feeling it run down his chin. This way he wouldn't have to look at it.

Ritsu ducked down to see if his near concussion had at least been effective in removing the coat hanger and saw that indeed he was now able to effectively extract it from the gap he'd created. As he was doing so, something in the gap caught his eye. It looked like a white square of paper, a note or something that might have fallen into the bottom of the chest of drawers when the top few drawers had become too full.

Wincing a little at the pain in his lip, Ritsu prepared to reach out with the coat hanger again, when he realized that this might be more dangerous then it was worth, especially with that hook on the end. If he straightened it out however.... ah, now there was an idea!

Ritsu sat up on his knees and unwound the tightly knotted metal, stretching out the triangular shape until it formed a roughly wavy stick. Holding onto the hooked end, he lay out on his belly and poked at the white material he saw within the gap, trying to push it out onto the floor where he might pull it to him. To his credit however, the sharp metal sank through the object and he was able to reel it in, such as he might a prized fish.

It was a small, leather bound book about the size of a paperback novel. The coat hanger had skewered the soft leather of the front cover, damaging a few of the first pages in the process but not obscuring any of the writing within. Ritsu opened it to assure himself of this and was surprised to recognize the name scrawled on the inside cover.

It was his mother's diary.

He couldn't say he was that surprised. This room was usually allocated to his direct family whenever they visited the Main Estate. But the fact that his neurotic, paranoid mother had left behind this diary, either by accident or intentionally, was questionable in regards to her common character. She was not essentially the type of woman who would allow such a burden of privacy to go drifting about a populated place such as the Main House.

Ritsu flipped to the back and found that the last entry had been made twenty years ago, a few weeks before his birthday. Or in this case he supposed, a few weeks before his birth. He wondered if there was anything definitive in his mother's writing, apart from her conscious standoffish behaviour to the affairs of the Main House. It would be worth looking at. It reminded Ritsu of something his mother had told him years ago, about her initial reasons for relocating so far from the Main Estate. She used to visit quite regularly, but had ceased doing so after a falling out she had with the elder's over an event that she kept discreetly veiled. All Ritsu knew of this event, was that it occurred around the point in which she was pregnant with him. He never really concerned himself too much with the reason as to what this falling out could have been over, but now his curiosity once more took firm hold over him and he wondered whether his mother had mentioned it in this journal. Whilst he respected her privacy, there was no denying the circumstances as to which he had come across the diary. He had to wonder, whether in fact some part of his mother, perhaps the side that was not so subservient and respectful, had left it there in hopes that someone might come across it and right whatever wrongs had been done to her. This at least soothed Ritsu's feelings of guilt for the time being.

"Let's see what you have to say for yourself, Mom," Ritsu murmured, flipped open the journal and began to read the final few entries. The few of which took place away from the Hot Springs. The few of which pertained to her last lingering alliance with the Main Estate.

**__**

May 3rd 1984

Today I took a walk in the gardens around the Main House. The cherry blossoms are beautiful this time of year. The news reader reported a 40 raise in cherry blossoms in Kyoto this spring, which is wonderful, though on occasion the pollen does cause my hay fever to react in a most irritable way. The breeze was cool and the sun warm. I am thoroughly enjoying my visit away from the Hot Springs, even though I am well aware that perhaps it would be better for mine and the baby's health that I remain up in the mountains during my pregnancy. I would want no harm to come to my child as a result of my own petty desires.

Something peculiar did happen today in the garden. As I walked I came across the young Ayame Sohma; son of Takashi and Mio. He is 7 years of age and strikes me as quite an energetic child. Despite his outer confidence however, I fear that there is something more to Ayame then the rest of the distant family has been led to believe. In the sun he was wearing a long yutaka that covered every limb. But as he played in the garden, I remember what I saw whenever the cloth should fall astray: Bruises, cuts, abrasions, lumps of purple flesh. In fact, now that I think about it, not a day goes by when I do not see that boy sporting some new contusion. I am starting to suspect that that Ayame is being abused by his parents. A fact that would not surprise me. After all, his is _the snake of the zodiac and everyone is well aware that the snake is the damned symbol of forsaken atonement for a dredge life in purgatory. But how can I be so hold as to express such concerns without appearing asinine? I fear the repercussions. But I also fear for that boy._

****

May 5th 1984

I've seen them doing it. I've seen how they yell at him, kick him, hit him – for even the smallest of things. They told me themselves; they said it was necessary for Ayame to be controlled and as such they would sanction him for every mis-conduct. I wouldn't believe what I was seeing as he cringed in the corner, crying as they continued to hit and abuse him, over and over again...

I wonder what they would do to my child, if I ever allowed him to stay within this cursed household? If he is _one of the cursed zodiac, God forbid, would the elders strike out at him this way too? Would they beat and abuse him, the way they do to Ayame for even the smallest of mistakes?_

I can't allow that. I must make allowances for my child, if he is indeed born one of the cursed. Rather then see him suffer this way, I shall make amendments for every imperfection that he should reveal. I will repent for his mistakes. So that my child will never have to know the same suffering as that poor, confused boy.

It was a mistake coming back to this house. I should have stayed at home.

****

May 9th 1984

I spoke with Osamu today; the elder whom teaches the art of philosophy in the home schooling of the family master's and those Sohma's that are not admitted to public education. I consulted her on the matter with Ayame Sohma, as she is renowned amongst the Sohma's for her easygoing disposition and knowledge of family affairs. I appealed to her on the grounds of Ayame's harsh treatment and was quite stunned with the information I received. Stunned, but not exactly surprised.

They all fear Ayame Sohma. That's what she told me anyway. It was only a year ago that he begged to be allowed to attend the same school as his two best friends Shigure and Hatori Sohma, rather than be home tutored. He was warned by the elders of the repercussions, but he wouldn't listen to reason. More than anything all he wanted was to get away from that house; away from his parents. So they eventually let him have his way.

Osamu said that she was surprised at how well Ayame adjusted to school life and that his first week passed without mishap. My belief is that it was due to lack of stress; once Ayame was taken out of his parent's constant influence and that of the elders, he grew amongst his friends who helped distract him from the disconcertment he faced within the Main Estate. But apparently, whilst his behaviour improved, it wasn't long before the first letter arrived from his homeroom teacher. She said that she had noted some peculiar abrasions all over Ayame's body that did not occur as a result of roughhouse behaviour in the playground. This of course refers to the marks of the sanctions imposed by his parents. Excuses were made and after careful deliberation, it was decided that all punishments bestowed upon Ayame would be inflicted on skin that could easily be concealed by clothing. Once the visible marks vanished, the teacher ceased making her complaints to the family.

The elder's were able to relax for a while. Until of course, the other students began to notice the improbable qualities of Ayame. This was news to me and I assumed that Osamu was telling me this, because she assumed I already knew. I decided to play along with this facade and asked what qualities, exactly, _that the students began to notice. Osamu surprisingly enough, was more than willing to divulge the information. Was she too trusting or was it that the elder's were simply not concerned with concealing this facts? Whatever the case, she said that Ayame was gifted with a special Sight; an ability usually apparent alone in the direct bloodline of the family master. He could see things that other people could not. He could even look into a person's soul and see what was going to happen to them. The students began to believe that he was cursing them, because everything he spoke of came true. On one notable occasion, a group of students from the class above ganged up on him and chased him out of the school, pelting rocks and whatever else they could find at him. One of the boys chasing him was hit by a car. They believed it to be the work of the curse._

During his time at school Ayame has been kicked, punched, cut with scissors, hair torn out by the roots, verbally abused and has had graffiti of a vile nature scrawled on his locker. In some strange sense, it is sort of fortunate that things turned out the way they did, otherwise this behavior may have continued to the point that the boy might have been inspired to take his own life. The only thing that appears to provide him any relief from the constant torment, is the companionship of his close friend Shigure Sohma; the cursed dog of the zodiac. He protects the boy-snake unflappably and often remains outside of the Punishment Room wherein Ayame awaits to be released. It is clear that the loyalty has resulted in a close bond forming between the pair.

Osamu states that in light of recent events, Ayame's abnormal abilities have bee suppressed the only way possible at this point in time. Since the Angel of Archon (I have not uncovered any information regarding what this article actually is) has long since been lost to the elders, the alternative was the erasing of young Ayame's memory; the memory of ever knowing his true identity. His true potential. More so, the memories of those that have witnessed his power must also submit their memories to the dragon's hand, so that none will be able to provide him with material that may remind him of who and what he was.

It is none of my business but yet I feel a certain obligation to the boy that I cannot describe. I feel that despite this act to eradicate his abnormality, he will at some point in the future be compelled to rediscover this lost element of himself and all those old feelings will return. If only it were possible that I could ensure my son's fate to his, I would gladly entrust Ayame to my unborn child and pray that one day, he might find some way of protecting him, should ever these horrors befall the young snake again. All I can do for now is to confront his parent's about their treatment and see what small difference I can make. It most likely will be a pointless act but I cannot be at ease with my conscience, should I fail to do anything about the atrocities I've seen.

The rest of the pages were blank.

Ritsu closed the journal and perched it on his lap, thoroughly fed up with reading things that didn't make a whole heck of sense to him. He wondered whether his mother had an inkling that he might be here one day reading her thoughts like this. Ironically, this silly little journal may have been the only evidence left of Ayame's past 'abnormalities' as they put it and here Ritsu must have been the only person besides the elders who knew about some of the families' darker secrets. Such a revelation should have made him feel powerful, but Ritsu didn't feel the least bit puissant.

To be honest, he felt a little frightened.

His mother had stuck her nose too far into the family affairs and for all the information she had uncovered, Ritsu would not have been surprised if her memory had been erased when she had confronted Ayame's parents. They certainly would not have allowed her to spread that sort of information around about their son.

"Ayame had some sort of... _Sight_ usually exclusive to the direct line of the family master?" Ritsu wondered, staring down at the worn cover of the diary. "I guess erasing his memory was the only option they had at the time and it seems to have done the trick. He doesn't appear to suffer from anything like _that _anymore and from what I've heard, hasn't done so for a long time." He considered the journal thoughtfully, only then remembering that he hadn't gotten himself a drink, which had been the purpose for his trip downstairs. Funny how your objectives could change all in a moment.

"Mom... I guess you wanted me to be strong for Ayame, huh? That's why you meant wasn't it?" He felt the half-hearted chuckle work its' way up his throat, the laugh of bitter irony sounding course to his own ears. "If only you knew how dependent _I _am on him; to show _me _how to be strong. How to act, so that I can be a better person. I would have made a pitiful guardian for him-"

It all happened in a second. Just as soon as the room had been empty and absent of any presence apart from his own, Ritsu became aware of something _being there._ As he turned his shoulder slightly to admit the inhabitation into his line of sight, he felt the cold, almost seductive caress of a thin blade sliding across his neck. He froze immediately, refusing even to breathe. The blade remained where it was, not oppressive in that it tucked the skin of the larynx tightly inward but firm enough to establish the position of power, in a brash, almost cocky way. It seemed to say that the possessor of the blade had managed to make themselves comfortable behind Ritsu and had captured him with barely the minimalist effort and thus had won the right to gloat accordingly. A warm breath washed over his ear.

"Nice to see you again... Ritsu." A man's voice. Accented. Deep and alluring. Ritsu shivered at the intimate way it spoke his name, like a lover leaning down to claim you as a virgin. He could feel his skin slightly flushing upward from the collar of his shirt. "My, haven't you grown up? You're certainly looking well Ri."

Ritsu swallowed heavily and made no reply. He had no idea who the person was yet was under the distinct impression that he should. His body appeared to be responding with appropriate respect to its' immediate threat and he remained unwaveringly still, very aware of the cold steel pressed to his pale throat. The passing thought of how this person had managed to actually enter the room vanished as soon as it reared its' head. What did it matter now? The point was that Ritsu had been careless and this was probably one of the Sohma elders, coming to repay him for stealing the paper. Somehow they had found out. He'd been careless and now he was going to die.

Ritsu whimpered and a tear shone in the light from the overhead lamp as it arched down his cheek. He didn't want to die like this! He had so much to do now! Finally, he could be of assistance to those around him instead of an imposition. Armed with the knowledge he had, maybe he would finally gain some respect from the other family members. But that was pointless to think of now, wasn't it? He slowly let the diary slide from his grasp and it hit the floor, landing cover down, sending a slight cloud of dust wafting around his feet. The man behind him visibly shifted his weight and leaned close. Ritsu had the momentary perception of teeth lightly grazing the sensitive space on the back of his neck, just beneath the hairline and that shiver ran through him once more, seizing control of all his senses and making them sing in anticipation.

"You're quite frightened." The man observed rhetorically, his free hand wrapping around Ritsu's slim chest protectively. "I'm sorry it has to be done this way, but I can't risk having you react in a loud and attention grabbing way. This ensures _my _safety. At least until I'm done with you that is."

"Done with... me?" Ritsu whispered softly. There was a slight nod into the back of his head.

"Listen very carefully. Granted you do as I say, we can ensure that this conversation is very brief and painless for both parties. Should you fail to comply, I can certainly make things a lot more difficult for the two of us. Is that understood?"

Ritsu swallowed loudly. "Yes." He breathed, voice trembling.

"That's good. Now, I'm going to remove this blade from your neck. Don't even think about moving for the door. By the time you put one hand on that chest of drawers, I will have stabbed you twenty times and you will still be well enough to tell me everything I need to know. Think of it as acupuncture. Only a Hell of a lot more painful. Are we clear on that, little hostess?"

Another breathy yes. At his acceptance, Ritsu felt the thin blade slide away, leaving not even the faintest glimmer of a scratch on his ashen skin. He wanted to rub his neck, but refrained, too afraid to do anything without the other man's approval first.

A boot nudged him in the small of the back. "Very good. Now, I want you to stand up and face me, your hands clasped to your lower belly, fingers interlocked. Once you've done this, walk backwards slowly until you reach the bed and sit down. Keep your eyes on me the whole time."

Ritsu did what he wanted, backing across the room until he felt his knees hit the side of the bed and then sat down, more afraid by the way in which the stranger was treating him. As though _he _was the dangerous one. Once he was seated he looked upwards to see the man's face, but it was veiled beneath an earthy brown robe throwing a deep shadow over his face. He was quite tall, around a good 2 meters and the robe, pulled quite tightly around him, revealed a lean, hard figure. In his hands were two exquisitely shined weapons known as Sai, mostly employed in the art of _ninjitsu_. Ritsu felt his heart sink. Whatever this figure wanted he was most certainly going to get it. Strong, tall and obviously trained in the martial arts. This was not looking good for him.

"What's the time?" The man suddenly asked. Ritsu jerked slightly, not expecting a question of this nature. He glanced down a little to examine his wristwatch.

"10:30." He replied, taking in the other man's stance as he looked back up. The intruder had one hand wresting on his hip, the sai's blade pointed slightly upward to match the angle of his waist, whilst he was using the other point to scratch a place unseen beneath the hood of his robe. He seemed relatively at ease with his surroundings. _Glad one of us is, _Ritsu thought bitterly.

"Dark out..." The stranger murmured, looking over to the drawn curtains and then making his way towards the light switch. He gestured at it with one of his sai. "I'm going to turn the lights out and then I'm going to take these robes off. They're irritating and I'll go mad if I have to spend another moment in them. But I don't want you to see my face that well."

Ritsu gave a small nod. "Okay... I guess you don't want anyone to know who you are."

A slight chuckle came from the darkness beneath the hood. "It's not really like that, kiddo. It's... well it's hard to explain. Let's just say I'm not a pretty sight at the moment."

Ritsu didn't understand but decided it didn't matter. He was at the mercy of this person at the moment and he thought it best to humor him.

The light switch cracked down and they were thrown into darkness. The only evidence Ritsu could make of the other figure being in the room, was the shifting of garments being deposited onto the floor in the corner. He wondered briefly if the guy was wearing anything underneath the robes and the thought made him blush so furiously, he wondered whether he was visible in the dark.

Eventually, it seemed that the other man was finished in his disrobing and a weight settled on the bed next to Ritsu. The monkey glanced up, trying to force his eyes to adjust to the darkness and found that it wasn't really necessary. He couldn't resist recoiling in shock at what he saw.

Two piercing red eyes loomed out of the darkness, slightly blurred from behind what could only have been glasses. They were unnaturally large and being as close to this other being that he was, Ritsu could see that the scarlet color was not emanating from the iris. The eye itself... it was hard to tell from behind the lenses of the glasses, but the where a normal person's eye would be white, the strangers' was crimson. There was no pupil, but where the pupil would ordinarily be, there was a bright red symbol made up of two larger outer circles, with a 14 pointed star in the center. Each point seemed to indicate something and the two circles appeared to be turning in opposite directions to one another.

It hit him in a flash.

"It's you..." Ritsu whispered, crawling up the bed until his back hit the headboard. "You're the God's Bane. The Black Daemon of the zodiac. The same one in those articles, the boy found mutilated on the side of the Old Road!"

The glowing eyes were obscured for a moment, as though the other man had lowered his head.

"Very good." Said the voice, sounding amused. "I'm surprised that _you _of all people managed to put the pieces together. Though I suppose I can't place too much faith in Akito or that airheaded Ayame."

Ritsu ignored the lighthearted insult spurned at the snakes' benefit. This situation was quite ironic. He needed to take full advantage of it; perhaps keeping him distracted would keep him from the application of whatever it was he intended.

"I don't know you." He declared uncertainly. "At least... I have no recollection of knowing you. I'm sorry... for anything you suffered because of this family. But, I'm not sure what you want from me."

This was a slight clink of glass, as though the other had just adjusted his glasses. He chuckled softly and Ritsu felt himself relax a little. Though the man had used force to get him into this position, he could feel no malevolence emanating from him. On the contrary, he seemed completely gentle. Despite of himself, Ritsu found he could not bring himself to move away from the head of the bed. He was not going to place all his trust into this... _creature's _hands.

"You really don't remember anything after all. Just as Kureno said." The Bane said, shifting his weight a little.

__

Kureno?

"He had reason to remember, that's for sure. But I'm delighted to see that you and Shigure were so obedient when it came to loosing those particular memories. Maybe a little _too obedient_."

__

Shigure?

The bed started sinking down around Ritsu's feet and he felt the other move slowly up the quilted doona toward him, slowly taking its' time. Ritsu's eyes had adjusted to the dark well enough to observe the large form making it's lethargic way up across his legs, shoulders shifting beneath bare skin like a lion stalking its prey. The monkey was glad to see that at the very least, the man had trousers on, though they were little more than tattered shreds of what once might have been a pair of jeans. He felt his face go red again as two callused hands worked their way up over his thighs and gripped the center of his shirt, using the leverage to hoist the larger man up over the lithe form of his victim. Two eyes, abnormally wide in diameter, stared down into his face hungrily, teeth bared in a predatory smile and what little light existed, dancing across the saliva on firm, full lips. Ritsu felt himself being pushed back into the blankets as he was effectively pinned. He reached out to try and push those large shoulders back and found the action was futile. The other was simply too strong.

"You can help me... by remembering _who _you are. We can come to me later. There's plenty of time in the world for that. Most importantly now however, is that you remember why it is that I chose you to help me protect _them._"

"What are you talking about?" Ritsu asked, flinching inwardly as the large hand covered his eyes, much in the manner of Hatori when he erased someone's memories. Only Ritsu was sure that Hatori had never done this to him before.

Two seconds later, he realized how very wrong this assumption had been.

There was a bright flash of light and the whole room lit up. Ritsu saw a momentary glance of the Bane and was able to take in his appearance before a flood of forgotten information returned to him. He remembered Kureno, slicing through the prepared doll in training, his exceptional samurai skills coming to light in the passing of the years. He saw the bleeding cuts glaring across his own arms and Kureno's light hearted prompting to get up and try again.

Darkness and light, years passing before his eyes in a matter of seconds. Moments of fury, anger and determination. Brief glimpses of the past blurring into focus for a second, the taste more than enough to waken the slumbering memories buried deep within his subconscious. Blades striking flesh, muscles aching and tearing as the moved across the rooftops, eavesdropping on conversations at the command of the family elders. Blood leaking from lacerations, bones breaking, bruises and bandages and returning to the task again the next day. Long hair mattered with blood and dirt, pooling around him in the water as he bathed. The rise and fall of the companions who went through it all with him; their faces looming individually out of the darkness for a moment before receding away as another memory took his place. Ritsu could feel his fingers clenching a hold of the doona, nails digging deep into the material as the force of the returning memories threatened to force him into submission. Whirling, raping, rending his brain asunder in the torrent of betrayal and regret and someone was screaming over and over and over again...

That someone was him.

****

Note: It wouldn't be me, if it weren't a cliffhanger. I shall attempt to get part 11 up soon, now that I am officially off from my well-deserved break. (In which I had my final exams but I digress...)


	11. Jikan Jyunishi

**Born to be Broken**

**Disclaimer: **YES IT'S MINE! ALL MINE! (Cackles like evil Shuichi and gets carted away in a butterfly net) Well, maybe it's not _really _mine. Just a little. Though I do claim ownership over Akito Sohma since he gets no respect no matter where he is these days! (Yells at manga readers) HE'S NOT A GIRL!

**Note: **I'm not going to go overboard apologizing for my absence; I'll just be brutally honest. The manga revealed Akito to be a girl. I thought, fine, but I doubted it had any real reflection on his character in the anime so I just went about my business and kept on writing away. Then I got the overflow of reviews of people constantly _reminding _me that Akito was a girl. (As if I could easily forget something so horrible. Much in the manner that people cannot forget witnessing a murder, only worse) I tried to point out valiantly that Born to be Broken continues on from the anime and the anime never revealed Akito as a girl and so as far as I'm concerned, he _wasn't _a girl in the anime! Not a great argument, but there you go. Then people started to _like _the idea of Akito being a girl and started once again to remind me that he _was a girl. _I'm sorry folks but I'm only human. I cracked and gave up.

I realized that I wasn't going to get any rest if I continued on with this particular storyline because I would forever be haunted by reviewers reminding me that Akito has a vagina. And breasts. Which scares me quite frankly. So I had to completely rewrite the story plan of Born to be Broken to fit in with some of the changes going on around the net. Not to be concerned though all you people who love Man!Akitty. Akito is still a boy in this fic, though I've completely revamped the storyline to take some changes into account and frankly I'm quite pleased I did!

Now, I'm sorry for the huge delay, but what with me getting pissed off with Fruits Basket and shifting to another anime to save my soul and reconfirm my belief in God, I am finally brave enough to face this fic again. Though there will be some ground rules if people want me to keep writing. And there is but one: _If so much as one person reminds me needlessly that Akito is OMG a girl in the manga, I will cease this fic immediately, delete it from the net and wipe all traces of it off of the face of the planet. _(Perkily) K? Other than that tell me off about anything else. Apostrophe's, bad spelling, bad plot, bad characterization whatever you see fit. Just not the other unmentionable.

So, with that being said, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter and will show some compassion to poor Akitty fangirls who've had to adopt lesbianism as a result of their true love getting a sex change. (Ears hang low) HERE COME'S THE 'S'! (_Sorry! Couldn't help myself!)_

**_"And the Lord God said to the serpent: Because thou hast done this thing, thou art cursed among all beasts of the earth: upon thy breast shalt thou go, and earth thou shalt eat all the days of they life." _**

**_–_**_ Book of Genesis. **3: **14-15_

By the time the elders had arrived at Ritsu's room, the dark haired monkey of the zodiac was well and truly composed. They found him packing undergarments into the drawers of a large mahogany cupboard near the door and he apologized profusely for disturbing them. Apparently he had tripped and hit his head on one of the furniture's corners, the shock more than anything making him react so violently. Only one of the elders, Susumu, detected that there was something amiss in the cursed zodiac members' flimsy excuse. And when the other elders had taken their leave, Kureno Sohma stepped into Ritsu's room and slid the door shut behind him.

The monkey had his back to him, folding up some shirts on the top of the bed.

"It was him."

Kureno knew who he meant but hadn't been expecting Ritsu to have come around yet. "Bane? He was here in the estate?"

"Yeah… he was here all right…" Ritsu sighed tiredly and rubbed at his eyes. He flashed a sad little smile over his shoulder at the other man. "Now I know why you asked me if I came back here for any other reason. I guess you were right after all. I came back to remember."

"Ah Ritsu…" Kureno stepped up close and took the younger man into his embrace, gently rocking his body from side to side. "I didn't want you to have to remember. It was I alone who was responsible for maintaining this memory. This… humiliation."

Ritsu laughed a little tenderly. "And that's exactly why he gave me my memory back, Ku-Ku-chan. The Bane doesn't want anyone to forget what we did to him." He drew himself out of Kureno's arms and then made his way over to the cupboard near the door. He fished around beneath the clothing for a while and then turned back to the elder, holding some small articles of paper out to him. "I understand that this too was withheld from you. The other elders meant to hide it from Akito. Perhaps you would like to read it yourself, Susumu?"

Kureno stuffed the paper into the back pocket of his trousers. "That can wait. Where is the Bane now?"

Ritsu gestured with his head. "While I was recovering he went straight out through the bedroom door. He mentioned Shigure. He may intend to revive his memories too."

"Shit." The older man cursed. "He sure is bold. But knowing the Bane he would never do the obvious. If he left by the window that would mean he was heading in the direction of Shigure's house. Your window faces out directly to the woods. That would be the most direct route. The only reasonable explanation that he left by the door is-''

"-That he has something to do here at the estate." Ritsu concluded. Kureno punched his palm with his fist.

"We must search for him. Split up and cover both sides of the Main Estate. Since you and I are the only Guardian's that remember, we alone are capable of restraining him. Do you think you're up to it? It's been a while."

"I'll say it has…" The monkey said softly, his eyes facing toward the ground. "But what choice do I have? It's not as though the Bane's going to be exactly thrilled after he was screwed over so badly."

It was settled. In the dark of the night the two men entered the shaded hallway. Without a word to the other, they set off in separate directions.

**-_SCENE CHANGE-_**

When Akito awoke, the last thing he expected to see was Shigure. It was barely midnight and the young family master had barely dozed off, when he was suddenly and inadvertently jerked awake. As he sat up in bed, rubbing his forehead and wondering what could have woken him, he spotted the older man standing by the window staring out.

There was only twelve feet between Akito and Shigure; the latter staring out into the darkness of the woods, lower arms leaning against the circular frame. Lost it seemed, in the tenacity of his own thoughts. The wind outside was tinged with the bitter cold of night and Akito could see it toying with the man's hair, blowing the long dark strands across his slightly tanned neck. Even from that distance he could see his throat rising and falling with the intake of breath, the soft discolored skin rippling down his collar and shifting fluidly like silk across his smooth, bare shoulders. Akito's breath caught, tangled up within the boundaries of his own throat as it became more and more difficult to control. Still within the drowsy trance like state that one succumbs to upon awakening, it did not occur to him to question what Shigure was doing in his room in the dead of the night. All he could feel was his own aching desire, desperate to be sated by the other man's strong body and skilled hands. Perhaps Shigure had finally realized his correct place by his side, rather than in the arms of that vehement snake he called a lover. Now, here he was before him in all his velvety perfection, delighting the younger man in a way he couldn't even begin to describe.

Akito slowly angled his body to the side and slid his feet onto the floor, purposefully trying to make it noticeable to the other man.

"Shigure?" He called, sounding pathetically hopeful even to his own ears.

The elder man raised his head, registering the conscious presence and then turned to face Akito, a shadowed smile stretching across the lower half of his face.

Akito felt his breath catch and quickly pulled his legs to safety against his body, scuttling away until he felt the securing touch of the wooden headboard against his back. Now that he was face to face, he realized with a rude shock that the intruder was not in fact Shigure.

"You… you're not…" He mumbled, lacking the forthright dilution to engage this man properly. "I mean… uh…"

The man's teeth gleamed in the darkness, shining from the moist saliva thinly coating them. He seemed tempestuous toward the younger boy and cruelly amused by his stunned reaction.

"Were you expecting someone else?" He drawled in a voice so clearly seductive Akito felt the passing compulsion to slide out of his robes. Dismissing the urge completely, he instead pulled the blankets back over his body as though to hide from the stranger who was beginning to walk slowly away from the window and its' blustery breeze.

Akito could see how he managed to fool himself so effectively into mistaking the man for Shigure. The resemblance was uncanny to the point that they could have been twins. He was around the same height, though broader across the shoulders and certainly better built. His legs, clothed in faded denim jeans were long and as slender as the waist that birthed them. He had the same gentle smile that could too easily shift to manipulate or mock for the owners' personal entertainment. In fact, their facial structure was practically identical if you were not to take in the wider mouth and fuller lips. When this man spoke, the movement looked kind of uncomfortable though he clearly exuded confidence in his manner and tone. The similarity ended here however. The most noticeable difference between them was that this mans' eyes were far too wide in diameter, as though the eyeball itself was too big for the socket and appeared to be pushing the upper lids at a higher axis. The color was a crimson red, like old blood with none of the warmth of Shigure's deep brown twins. His hair, whilst also dark, was not the passive black of Shigure's. It was a rich chestnut brown and it was tied back in a short ponytail, allowing the shorter pieces at the front as well as his long bangs to frame his slightly feminine face.

Regardless, the stranger highlighted by the moon outside was positively one of the most striking figures Akito had ever set eyes on. The menacing structure of his eyes aside, Akito sensed that there was benevolence to the man and he meant him no harm. It was the same as the figure on the tape…

_The figure on the tape!_

"You!" He snapped, putting some venom into it. His voice sounded suitably inclement. "I know that voice, those eyes… you were the one on the tape, were you not?"

There was a long silence as the stranger came closer in order to perch at the very base of Akito's bed. He crossed his long legs eloquently and folded his hands, resting them on the raised knee.

"Bingo." He concluded sounding altogether too cheery. "And I must say, it is good to hear your voice. I've been waiting a long time to see you again."

Akito kept his eyebrows furrowed and his body withdrawn as far from the other man as was possible. The brunette had a very noticeable accent, weakened a little from the strength it may have originally possessed. Akito could not pinpoint it and frankly, couldn't give a damn at the moment.

"Forgive me if I seem less riveted than you expected." He said coldly enough to form icicles within the man's ear canals. "But it is a little difficult you must understand, if I have absolutely no conception of who you are."

The man regarded him casually; his expression and then his voice both completely unreadable. "I am the 14th sign of the zodiac."

Akito snorted condescendingly. "There is no 14th sign."

The other man only grinned in reply. "Oh really?" He climbed to his feet, stretched and then let out a very loud and attention grabbing sneeze. Akito looked on apprehensively.

"Are… you all right?"

It truly hit him then. Dear God, this man _was _real! The one on the tape, the man who said he loved him was not part of his messed up imagination. Here he was! Standing right here in front of him!

The stranger shivered and wrapped his arms around himself. "Uh… not to complain or anything but… I don't suppose you have something around here that I could wear? Something baggy? You're quite a bit smaller than me after all, Sugar-skin."

_Sugar-skin. _The name he had been called that day in the shower when something had attempted to seduce him. Akito wondered if it could have somehow been the man in front of him but couldn't reason how it was possible. He was _real. _Whatever had tested him that day could not have been anything more than something intangible. Something he could not fathom could not see.

Akito carefully pulled himself out of bed and slowly made his way around the room, looking for something to give the other man. Eventually he came across his usual attire of the white and red robes. They would have to do. He picked them up and then made his way over to the stranger, forcefully shoving them at his chest.

"Here. Put these on."

The chestnut smiled appreciatively as he accepted the garments and unashamedly began to wriggle out of the remnants of his jeans. Akito discreetly turned his back, marveling at the lack of modesty.

"Hmm… removing the red robe before me, huh?" Came the thick accent from behind his back. Akito felt his face go red at the suggested implication. "Does that mean-?"

"No." Akito said bluntly. The other man shrugged.

"Worth a try."

Akito glanced once over his shoulder and saw the chestnut was dressed. He found his eyes straying to the sloping neckline that ran directly down the others bare chest and immediately felt a small tingle of guilt. Dammit, what the hell was wrong with him? He didn't even know who this guy was and he was checking him out?

The chestnut noticed the aim of Akito's gaze and modestly drew his robes in tighter around his body. Akito did the same with his own robes, feeling almost a little disappointed. Then he made his way over to the window and slid it shut. The room was cold enough without the breeze from outside leaking in.

"Uh… I'm guessing you have a lot of questions, right?" The crimson-eyed man Eienstiened, lowering his head in a mock bow. Akito didn't respond to his tease and continued to stand by the window, gazing at the stranger who should never have been a stranger. It had been years since the Bane had felt that scrutiny bear down on him and he loved it when Akito looked at him like that. He'd missed that. Though now he couldn't help but think those eyes had different intentions then they did seven years ago. They were no longer the eyes of a child. They were the eyes of a beautiful yet sad young man.

"For one…" Said the master softly. "How did you manage to get in here?"

The stranger seated himself casually back down at the foot of the bed, his glowing red eyes subjecting Akito to his full attention. "Circum-navigated the rooftops."

Akito raised an eyebrow. "You came here via the rooftops?"

"Didn't have much of a choice, lad. If the family elders saw me they'd be chasin' me down like a pack of hyena's houndin' a beef trolley." He stretched his fingers out before him, cracking them one by one. "Owing to the somewhat… tumultuous circumstances of our past history, I decided to be a little more _tactful _about my return."

"Yes, about that," Akito mused as he leant back against the wall, stifling what threatened to be a hearty yawn. "On the tape you said you used to work here and none of us would remember you after you left. I saw you speak with me on the tape."

The man's eyes were not in the least bit indicative of his feelings. They were as cold as shark's eyes, misleading to the nature of the figure himself. "And have you yet come to the conclusion that I was telling the truth?"

"I want answers." Akito said firmly.

"Then answers I will give you. Granted you are ready to hear them?"

"I've been ready." Akito's voice was tarter than he had intended.

"_I'll _be the judge of that," replied the stranger superciliously. He slowly raised himself from the bed and started to pace about the open space of the room, his arms above his head and one hand locked around the opposing wrist. "First things first-'' At this he became fully animated, leaning down to face height with Akito and pointing one finger directly at his face. "I suppose you're wondering who I am and what I have to do with your family. Right?"

Akito crossed his arms. "It would be a good start. You did not give me your name on the tape."

The brunette's mouth formed a grim little line. His mouth seemed to be the most expressive part of his face, in order to compensate for the emotion his eyes were unable to exhibit.

"There's not much in a name, lad. I didn't think I would really need to give one." He said sadly and then cleared his throat. "Anyway, I must confess that I don't really have a name. But the family elders, in their immediate assumption of my charming disposition, were kind enough to bestow me with a most _becoming _title. Ironically befitting, I would say in light of my role in the cursed zodiac."

"Which is?"

The strange man had opened his mouth to reply, when a dark voice beat him to it.

"The 14th member of the zodiac – The child of O'yama, Light shunner – 'Lucifuges – The God's Bane.'"

Both men looked over to see Kureno Sohma's shadowed form lingering in the doorway. With some antagonism, he shoved the door completely into the wall and slowly slunk into the room, eyes narrowed dangerously at the intruder. "But you were too young to pronounce it properly Akito… so you used to call him '_Lucky._'"

X x X x X x X

_"No! No! I won't go back into the darkness!" The boy screamed. A strong clawed hand reached out and snagged itself in his long dark hair, causing him to cry out in pain. The owner of the hand smiled at the boy's agony and twisted sharply, tearing out a clump of hair at the roots. _

_"It is your honor... and your privilege to be thrown into darkness." A cold voice hissed from those still smiling lips. "Why such a fuss? You are so very special to us... we love you with all our hearts..."_

_"LIAR!" The boy sobbed, clutching at the hand that still gripped his blood stained hair. "If you loved me so much you would have let me go to her! But you didn't! You want her to die just like they do! I wanted to stay out here in the light with her! With everyone! I don't wanna go! I don't w-wanna g-g-go!" His words broke off into a series of sobs so that he could no longer articulate himself. The man before him snarled at the sight of those tears and raised his free hand to shoulder height. He brought it down with bone breaking force; cracking the boys jaw and splitting his lips open from top to bottom. His crying ceased immediately as he fell backwards from the impact, crawling away like a wounded animal. _

_"SILENCE!" The man shouted as the boy whimpered in pain. "You are to be the master of this family and there is no place for weakness here! Your destiny demands you to be strong!"_

_"I don't want my destiny!" The young man screamed blood splattering from his bruised lips as he spoke. "I want to stay here in the light! I don't want to be in the shadows again! I LOVE her and you tore us apart, just like that thing now tears her apart! If you truly loved me, you'd let me go to her! She needs me and she doesn't know..." He fell forward, face pressed against the wooden floor as blood dripped from his mouth to splatter against the paneling like infant artwork. "She... She'll die never knowing the truth! That it's YOUR fault! It's YOUR fault for all of this! My love is not false; let it be known to her! Please! ...Please?" _

_There was stillness, a passing silence that hung in the air as sweet as an autumn breeze in the very depths of winter. The boy continued to cry from the corner, unable to comprehend which parts of his body were hurting and not knowing how to fix it. Knowing that no one would heal them for him and that he was doomed to fight against the pain, alone in the darkness. As it always had been. His hands clenched against the stab wound in his side; the cut only deep enough to cause excruciating pain at every movement, but not enough to kill him. He wished that it would. He prayed that it would. If only they had stabbed deeper and the horrific torment that twisted his heart from inside would be allowed to end! But no... no, they would never give him an easy way out. This was his punishment for betraying them and they were going to exact it as they saw fit._

_"This is unacceptable..." The man said at last with a sneer. "You sicken me... you sicken us all with your pathetic asinine actions. Now, you will return darkness! You will suffer! You will suffer as you deserve for your traitorous ways! Then and only then will you arise to ascension, when and only when we deem you worthy!"_

_"Go to Hell!" The boy screamed, clutching the wooden carving around his neck and rubbing it between his fingers, obscuring the symbolism of the piece. "I WON'T go! I'll tear you limb from limb before you drag me back to that infernal damnation!"_

_"You won't be needing such a petty decoration where you're going..." The man said, ignoring the boy's words. He reached out and snagged the necklace, tugging the knotted cord so tightly that it choked the boy for a second before it was torn from his neck. The necklace was discarded to the side, tumbling across the weathered floorboards before slipping down between an enlarged gap. The boy gasped and dove after it, long fingernails scrambling at the sides of the space as he tried to pry it open far enough to reach his hand inside._

_"No! It was a gift from her! It's all I have left!" He cried._

_"Silence!" The man shouted and there was enough seriousness in his voice that the boy obeyed immediately. Though he did not raise himself from the floor and continued to cower there, shaking and trembling._

_"Now... it's time to return to darkness." The man said._

_The boy burst into tears. There was none of the sniffling and sobbing preliminaries that usually led up to a full blown outburst, there was just a loud wailing onslaught that echoed around the dank room like a beasts cry. The man was momentarily taken aback, unprepared for such a violent reaction. For a while he simply stood there, watching the blood covered lad clutching the floor, as though it were his only anchor in reality. But then he got a hold of himself. This was not what the Other's wanted, said a less emotional voice inside of his head, reassuring him. This was of no importance to those in the higher order. So instead of reaching out to reassure the frightened youth he reared back his hand and slapped him again._

_"Shut up." He said. "It's time to go."_

_The boy did shut up. But he found an alternative to the impending prospect and it suited him much better. As the hand struck him he spun with the glancing blow, leaping to his feet in one fluid movement and back flipping away, putting a reasonable distance between them. The man barely had time to react; the response was so unexpected. Before he could blink the boy had reached the opposite side of the room and had ripped an ornamental dagger from the wall; it had seen some heavy wear and was most probably not just for show. The blade gleamed as though it had been thoroughly sharpened time and time again, though never dulled to begin with. The boy perceived this and knew from experience how deep the knife cut, simply by running the tip of a finger over it. He thus anticipated the depth of a wound it would sew, when thrown from a great distance, with a great anger behind it. _

_It sliced through the air, faster and harder than the man would have believed possible. The youth's strength was indeed admirable, but it paled in comparison to everything that he himself was capable off. The man snapped forward and the blade was ensnared between the nails of his index and middle fingers. He allowed it to hang there, suspended for a moment until the weight bore it to the ground. It fell, embedding itself deep within the soft wood and the man stepped over it's quivering hilt towards the boy, who stared at him with a complex expression on his youthful face. Not shock so much as bitterness towards the situation itself. As though he knew that the action was pointless in the first place but nonetheless he had still hoped..._

_"Valiant attempt, but futile none the less..." The man whispered almost sinisterly, robes swirling around him as though a breeze had filtered within the confined room. Of course there was no way in which any such breeze could have entered. "Now come..." He stretched out his hand. "Your destiny awaits..."_

_The boy did take the hand extended to him. Instead he made a sudden rapid dash to the side as though he meant to escape. But his wound would not allow it. The flip he had performed before had split the slash open even wider and blood was pouring from his side, staining his white robes red all the way down to the hem. He staggered, fell over the low table in the center of the room and was promptly caught in the arms of another robed individual._

_"Let me help you." The man said. Though he wasn't speaking to the boy. It was the other man that he was addressing._

_"Yes, that might be wise..." He agreed, watching as the youth thrashed as much as his abused body would allow. "He may injure himself permanently at this rate and we don't wish to inflict wounds on him that may never heal."_

_The First came around and grasped the boy by the wrist, tugging him in the direction of the doorway, as the Second held him constrictively by the shoulders. As they shoved the door open, the youth latched his spare arm around the frame, clinging on as tightly as a child to its mother's bosom. The First darted forward, long fingers wrapping around the circular curve of the boys shoulder, trying to pull him out from where he had wedged himself. The boy put up a fight, lashing out with his free hand and swiping at the two older men with a viscous expression on his face. The First uttered a guttural snarl and, placing both hands on the boys shoulder, pulled backwards with the entire weight of his body. There was a muffled crack; like the sound of a brick falling against concrete as the boys' shoulder popped out of joint and the youth was now screaming in a long sustained note of pain. His grip loosened on the doorway and the two men bundled him between them; the Second clasping a hand over his mouth to stifle the screams. Together they dragged him outside, where the only light visible was from the three-quarter moon that hung in the cloudy sky. He twisted within their grip, crying from behind the rough palm that encased his mouth. Crying for help, calling for the neighbors that were too far away to hear anything. He relaxed the weight of his body dramatically, such as a child might do when they don't want to go somewhere, making it more difficult for the robed ones to carry him. His bare feet sought out notches in the ground to halt or slow the continual progress, but this effort only resulted in the skin being torn off against sharp rocks and other protrusions._

_A trail of blood indicated the path of the three men and it wove out into the dark woods, coming close to the border of the lake and then veering off back into the forests very depths, where no light penetrated at all. Even without the aid of illumination the robed ones were able to find what they were after; a seemingly harmless looking shed hidden within a low hanging canopy formed of trees and leaves. The First threw his weight against the door and it sagged beneath him, creaking inwards revealing darkness eternally spiraling downwards into the earth. The youth flinched away from the foul odor that was released from confinement, whimpering in pain and fear. He visibly jumped as a woman's scream filtered up from below, a horse continual cry of suffering, blended with tears. The boy's mouth opened and shut in rapid succession as he realized exactly where he was._

_He was taken deep within the bowels of the earth, dragged through dirt and grime and the scent of blood. A pungent intoxicating stench of urine and human excrement soon raped his nostrils and he dry retched, eventually vomiting when his eyes saw what his nose forewarned. He was pulled back up from his own bile and dragged roughly by the hair southward, to a dark room. From the outside, you might not have even known it was there, as it blended right into the wood. There was a coldness in the room that was the first thing the boy was reminded of as he was thrown inside. His back hit another door, with three great elaborate locks on it. The First and Second stepped in behind him, closing the first door almost entirely. A sliver of light was allowed so that they could see. _

_Whilst they fished through their pockets, searching for the keys that would unlock the second doorway, the boy crawled forward trying to see out through the space that remained, lit only by dull candle light from outside. He had to see. He had to know if it was really—_

_The First kicked him cruelly in the side, exacting such force that the youth rolled back towards the other door, slamming into it. His injured shoulder took the brunt of the impact and he moaned weakly, too ill from the small glance he had been able to steal, to even scream properly. _

_"... So much blood... so much blood... so much blood..." He whispered, feeling his mind threatening to cave in on itself and wanting to let it. It was too horrible... what they had done... what they had done to... her... _

_He vomited on himself again, seeing blood within the almost transparent fluid and wondering if he would ever escape the memory of that vile red color. The robed ones had finished unlocking the door and were reaching out to reclaim him again. _

_The youth wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his face an animalistic mask of rage. "YOU FUCKING MONSTERS! HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY ANY OF THIS! HOW DARE YOU DO THIS! HOW DARE YOU!"_

_The voice screaming from within him was thickening, as though the substance of his own individual persona was being sucked out and replaced by something else. Another something that was more powerful... infinitely omnipotent and dominant in the compressed nature of its state. The robed ones paid no mind to it, hefting the boy between them, not registering the sunken gray ring that had formed around the center of his now glassy, blankly staring eyes. Perhaps they perceived it as merely shock, the inability to focus on anything as a result of fear. Whatever the case, they bound the youth within the third room, beyond the third door that was behind the second with the three locks. His clothes were stripped away and thorned willow branches twined around the length of his body, arms strung up unnaturally into the air, suspending him in the center of the room like a fly caught in an expansive spider web. The branches being his only support tore into the flesh, dripping blood down onto the already stained dirt floor. Nothing about this room had ever, ever been altered since it had first been made._

_"Close the door..." The Second hissed, stepping out ahead of his compatriot, robe swirling around his slim form. The First cast one last glance at the nude lad as he dangled there in agony, blood dripping steadily from each cruel laceration, creating a steady repetitive noise in the otherwise silent room. He moved to close the door, his hand ensnaring the handle when the youth spoke. It was with some difficulty as one twine of willow was drawn across his jugular and constricted his Adam's apple. _

_"...We'll come back..." He rasped. The First stared as the boy painfully lifted his head, blank eyes settling on his own with a frightening indifference. "... She and I... we'll come back... And I assure you... you will pray for death at my hands... long after death finds me."_

_"Don't speak nonsense." The First tried to say firmly. But his voice wavered._

_The youth snickered, blood peeling across his face and into his eyes. "We'll never leave... not ever... you'll never be rid of us, even after you're dead and rotting in the ground." His voice lowered even more so that it was almost inaudible; like a broom sweeping across a wooden floor. "And let it be known, that this face will haunt your dreams... your reality... your every step... even as it rots away within these walls. Ah... yes... because there shall be no sleep for the damned... nor the dead."_

_And there was a sudden burst of laughter echoing around the room; the youths own as it erupted from his slack jawed mouth, combined with several other indistinct voices that had no visible point of origin. As it increased in strength, the First finally jerked himself into action, slinging the door closed with so much force the dirt walls shook. He quickly dashed through the second door, slamming that also and jamming the keys into the locks in rapid succession, panting with fearful relief as he heard each one click into place. Only when he had shut the final door and locked that too, did he feel safe and was able to slow down. He leant his forehead against the wood paneling, taking deep shuddering breaths as he tried to slow his heart rate. Though it was muffled by the constraints of the walls and doors, he could still hear the distinct sound of laughter from far away. Deep within the earth, in a room where no light penetrated and the only companion of those inside was the dripping of their own blood._

_And the laughter..._

It wasn't a cold night but Shigure Sohma shivered in his sleep.

Beside him, Ayame Sohma slept soundly for the first time in weeks

X x X x X x X

Akito tried the name out. "Lucifuges? Isn't that Western title for O'yama?"

Lucifuges, as he was apparently called, said something in English which Akito didn't understand. Being home schooled, he only spoke Japanese and had little to no grasp of the English language.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked.

The Bane seemed embarrassed at his lapse. "Forgive me," He said in Japanese. "Japanese isn't my first language sosometimes I tend to slip into back into English. What I meant to say was the demon that you are referring to is known as Satan in the Christian religion. I believe you are referring to Lucifer; the supposed fallen angel spoken of in the Old Testament."

Once again, they were lost in translation. The name _Lucifer _and _Lucifuges _were delivered from the stranger in a phrasing that hardly discerned one from the other. It took Akito a while to make the difference and even then it still confused him.

Lucifuges just smiled ironically. "Makes sense. You've had difficulties pronouncing that name since the moment I was awarded it. Explains now why you chose to give me a nickname."

"Lucky…" Akito murmured, finding that this title was much easier to distinguish. "I see… this is why that word has been popping up everywhere…"

Lucifuges nodded and then flashed Kureno an obnoxious look. His smile was mocking. "I'm flattered by the way. I'd really thought that you'd forgotten me." He spoke without the hint of expression.

Kureno's voice was just as bland. "How could I forget such a pretty face?"

The stranger laughed out loud, though there was no humor in this action. The tone was vehement. Cruel and purposefully devoid of empathy. He lowered his eyes and set them on Kureno and Akito was a little taken aback at the coldness he exuded. "Or maybe… it is Hatori who couldn't make you forget such a pretty face." He titled slightly to the side and glanced at someone out in the hallway. "Right Hatori?"

Akito peered around the erstwhile form of his servant. The physician was standing in the doorway, highlighted by the passage light, allowing his confused and incensed expression to be seen clearly. He took a step into the room, dismissing the usual ritual of requesting Akito's permission on entering his living quarters. Manners had hence taken a backseat at the Bane's arrival.

"Who the Hell are you?" Hatori hissed. His voice was as cold as snow.

Lucifuges looked mildly amused. He swept his arms before him in a phony pretense of respect, obscured somewhat by the fact that the robes hung down low exposing a great deal of his chest. "As Kureno just said, I am Lucifuges Sohma. Servant of O'yama. The God's Bane. The Light Shunner. The Marquee of Hell. The Prince of Darkness. Apocalyptic, sexed up anti-Christ. Depending on which particular elder you ask about me."

This had gone on long enough. Akito consciously shook himself out of the daze he had been in and strode between the Bane and Kureno, sensing that this was the forefront of the electric tension circulating about the room. "Hold on just one friggin' minute!" He snapped, reminding everyone that he was in charge here. "Would you mind explaining this a little better to me please? The two of you are staring at one another like jackals! Tell me what the Hell's going on here!"

Lucifuges opened his mouth as though to reply but promptly shut it. His eyes focused on Akito and he gazed dazedly at him for a moment.

As a result of his lack of social interaction and sexual encounters, Akito managed to miss the particular meaning behind the other man's expression. He simply became frustrated at the hesitation in responding to his order. "What!"

Lucifuges snapped out of it. "I'm sorry, it's just… My God Akito… you've gotten so beautiful. You look so much like your mother…"

Akito shifted uncomfortably, finally realizing just _why _Lucifuges had been staring at him that way. He was grateful it was dark in his room; otherwise they may have seen the flush that spread across his cheeks. The other man had been admiring him! "My mother and I are nothing alike… _she _was the beautiful one." A rare show of modesty on his behalf. Or perhaps his own insecurities peeping through. "Now, would you mind telling us who, what and how you are?"

The elder man grinned. "Well, for a start I can kick off and tell you how I am. And that's pretty dosh darn terrific if I do say so myself! I've been snoozing away in a hospital for the past seven years, waiting for the day when you'd need my help and call me back here. Now, here I am! Seven years older and back in the place I loved the most, with all the handsome blokes I loved to spend time with!" He leered suggestively at both Hatori and Kureno, before turning his complete attention to Akito. His expression was soft and gentle. "And with all due respect Kito-kun, you _are _like your mother. She denied her own beauty due to insecurities, just as you do. But you're both beautiful none the less."

This made Akito's ears perk up. "You knew my mother?"

Lucifuges smiled and looked around as though he only now registered where they were. "I think we're going to need some coffee." He clarified at last.

Ten minutes later they are seated in the kitchen drinking coffee. Lucifuges, who apparently hadn't eaten for quite a while, had wolfed down all the food he could lay his hands on and was now nursing a cup of the strongest coffee they had available. The other Sohma's watched this demonstration with verifiable trepidation.

Kureno was the first to speak and rather tentatively. "After a display like that, you'd better tell us something worthwhile."

Ritsu, who had since joined them, glanced apologetically at all the empty food wrappers as though it were somehow his fault that the Sohma house was now devoid of sustenance. "Or maybe at least offer to pay for the replacement groceries." He suggested softly.

The least apologetic one in the room (happening also to be the one who'd just put away three months worth of food) merely smiled contentedly and patted his swollen belly. "After the way this family treated me in the past, I would have thought you could have afforded one teeny token gesture of hospitality after seven years of agony, discomfort and leaking."

This was news to a couple of family members, namely Hatori and Akito in particular. The prior pulled out a seat at the kitchen table and sat down on the right side of the Bane, keeping a reproachful body length between them. Akito was setting no such formalities and was sitting on Lucifuges' left, so close he may have practically been perched on his lap. He seemed particularly attentive to what this handsome stranger had to say.

"What are you talking about?" Hatori asked forthright, arms crossed over his chest. He hadn't yet taken a sip of his extra strong black coffee.

Lucifuges straightened up, puffing out his chest importantly as though he were addressing the Pope. Kureno rolled his eyes, knowing this act well enough to discern its actual intent. As always, this self-righteous demon was taking the piss out of the entire family. "Right… where to begin…?" He mused, tracing a pattern on his cup. "I suppose perhaps the best place to begin is… really the beginning! Alrighty… my service to the Sohma family began… ooh… around fourteen years ago? My parents, who were both immigrants from Scotland, God bless em," He paused to make a sign of the cross. "Had just been killed in an oven fire in our home and I'd been shuffled off to an orphanage here in Kyoto. I was fourteen when I was adopted by Tamiko Sohma."

Hatori did a quick calculation. "That would make you twenty-eight, then?"

"Aye. Twenty-eight as of two or so weeks ago." Lucifuges nodded, taking a quick sip of his coffee. His face was a touch maligned. "Not that I was in any state to celebrate the occasion…"

Akito noticed his expression and a sudden wave of affection for the stranger swept over him. Clearly Lucifuges had just recovered from some awful ordeal, in which his family seemed to have had a part in. Whatever the case, he didn't like seeing the other man sad. He reached over and gently touched his fingertips to the square of Lucifuges' hand, hoping to distract him from unwanted thoughts. Lucifuges met his eyes and Akito gave a sympathetic smile. For some reason or another, though the Bane's eyes were frightening and unnatural, he just couldn't bring himself to react accordingly. He just wasn't intimidated by them.

"My mother adopted you?" He asked a hint of skepticism in his soft voice. "Why would she want another child, what with everything else she had to deal with already?"

"Well you see that was the thing, kiddo." Lucifuges said, giving Akito's fingers a quick, momentary squeeze. The master felt a shiver of heat race throughout his body at the contact. "Your Mama only had a short time left to live by the time she came across me. She was looking for a playmate and had noticed you'd formed a particular attachment to the dog of the zodiac, our dear friend Shigure. An interest that clearly has not faded."

Talk about hitting the nail on the head. Akito blushed a little, a part of him feeling guilty for some reason. The Bane laughed it off, waving a hand as though latent attraction to an older man with the ability to turn into a dog when hugged by a member of the opposite sex was nothing to be ashamed of. Akito was starting to get the impression that Lucifuges wasn't the type to feel shamed about much of anything.

"Because Shigure was not her child to do with as she pleased, she decided she'd make one last stab at ensuring her child's happiness, even after she was gone." The Bane continued, swirling the deep brown liquid in his cup without even casting a glance at it. "At least… that's what she told me. When she saw me workin' at the orphanage, she figured I was perfect for the job. I could cook, clean, easily obey and execute orders and I bared an uncanny resemblance to Shigure which startled many of the other Sohma's when I was first introduced into your lives. I know now it was not just a coincidence."

He paused to take a breath. "Tamiko entrusted her child to me, because she saw something in me that no one else was able to rationalize. She made me promise to raise her son; a tiny five year old with the palest, silk white sugar skin you'd ever seen. She told me his name was Akito and all she wanted was for me to learn to love him; for it would forever be denied by the others that raised him."

"The family elders." Came Kureno's dark voice from the other end of the table. Lucifuges grinned sharply, though he didn't turn to acknowledge the roosters' intervention.

"Aye." He said simply. "Anyhow, when I first came to the estate, I learnt that my charge already had a playmate in the boy Kureno Sohma. Tamiko had confided the families curse in me, knowing that I being as close as I was to her son, would need to understand otherwise I could not form an effective connection with him. Kureno was the rooster. And I began to wonder to myself, why she needed me to be Akito's playmate, if she already had one for him? A damn good one at that too. Kureno has always been a faithful and loyal friend to Akito over the years."

Kureno forcefully unrolled his eyes from their sockets. "Please. You're making me blush."

Displaying a profound lack of maturity, Lucifuges retaliated by sticking his tongue out at him. "You're a mean old chook, Kureno. Moving along; I was led to the little boy's room and I picked him up in my arms." He smiled genuinely at Akito "Like carrying a teddy bear, you were. This… gorgeous little thing with a messed up head of black hair and these beautiful dark eyes framed by the longest lashes. You clung to me like a koala you did and buried your face in my chest. I think I fell in love then and there. With you still in my arms, Tamiko and Keni'shin led me deep into the Main House to meet the elders, to explain my admittance into the family. That I was to become Akito's Guardian in the event of her death. And when I say Guardian, I don't mean that of a parental substitute or adult supervisor, oh no. This was Guardianship of an entirely different magnitude. It meant a binding of sorts; I was to be his protector, his servant, the eye that watched over him. Of course I had no idea as such until it was read to me by the Elder Michi, from the Book of Archon and then I understood the consequence at finding a family at last. The Elders of course were not happy that an outsider obtain such an esteemed position within the House of Sohma but they remained true to their customs and before you could say Dennis Rodman, I became one of you."

Lucifuges paused for a moment and Akito watched his face through the curl of steam spiraling up from his coffee cup. The Bane appeared to be stinting on what he was about to say, judging whether or not it would be appropriate or necessary. By all marks he did not appear to be a simpleton, nor uneducated. Rather Akito got the impression that he was quite a bright young man. However, he seemed to be the sort that preferred to keep things simple and not complicate situations by presenting unfavorable information. Whether it be true or not. Perhaps he was hoping to convey as much as possible for the sake of Akito himself, rather than invoke sympathy on his own behalf for the past misgivings. Akito folded his hands atop one another and rested his slight chin on the bridge he had formed, eyes boring so deeply into the Bane's that Lucifuges began to wonder whether or not he had tunnels drilled directly into his brain. Akito wasn't under the conception that such devoted attention could be unnerving. Devoid of interaction amongst large diverse groups of people his whole life, Akito wasn't aware that people were intimidated by such intense consideration. Lucifuges smiled to himself. What a delight this boy was.

"My birth name was originally, Nanashi which, if you wanna screw the translation around a bit, means; 'One without name'." He continued after a deep submergence in his coffee. Akito had been started to think the Bane was attempting to drown himself in the beverage. "But when the Elders finally met me, they became suspicious. They believed my uncanny similarity to one of their own clan (AKA: Shigure) was a sign of the gods. That my coming here was no pure coincidence. They were terrified by what I could become, something I had no initial understanding of at the time. I was just a confused boy, happy to have found a home no matter how bizarre my new family believed me to be.

Regardless, I was made to learn very quickly just what my birthright was. My reason alone for being given life in this world. My lie that was existence in this pitiful human form. I was made to kneel, whilst they read a passage from the Book of Archon. If I recall correctly, it was passage **14: **18-24." Here, he paused to clear his throat and then began to recite the passage word for word in a pompous accent, ringing mock English. "_The Archon's of Destiny govern the weak and disorganized trepidation of the zodiac and all its subjects, for they are the manifestation we adhere to as the Family Master; the descendant of blessed Kanikito; the child of the Archon and the first priestess under the name of Sohma. Symbolized as the overseer, they stand above us depicted with whip in hand in order to chastise humanity to ensure our progress. As such, we bow our heads low and adhere to the God of the Zodiac. But there is naturally a counter balance to distinguish that who is obliged to evolve the zodiac through suffering and responsibility of existence and that is one whom is obliged to bring trials and temporary suffering to the God, in which he will learn strength to exist and obtain eternal happiness through his broken heart and the hearts of others. For where there is good there is evil. Where there is God there is the Light Shunner. The Celestial one represented in the ailing embodiment of the glorified Family Master and the Dark one recognized by the gaping scarlet canals adhered to in the fable, in which the demon gauged its' own eyes at, as atonement for its' act of wickedness unto the Celestial One._"

What a mouthful. Akito knew very well of the Book of Archon, though he'd never had the pleasure (nor the interest) to set eyes on it himself. It was the official Bible of the Sohma clan; depicting a long dead religion, exclusive to the family itself, first formed over 500 years ago and surrounded by controversy. Rumors of bloodied Shinto Rituals hung heavy about the clan those many centuries ago, outlandish beliefs in demi-Gods invoked to speak through a chosen medium and relay their commands to the servants of those appointed. It was a ridiculous belief and one dismissed amongst the general family nowadays. … Or so he thought. As Akito watched Lucifuges sigh and rub at his temples, he started to think for the very first time, that the secrets of the Sohma clan ran even deeper than his own involvement. The elders manipulated the strings from the shadows; that he had always known. But to go this far? To flesh these ancient beliefs into conventional society in which it had no place? Akito shook his head, in mirth. This was all too much like the dried blood beneath his nails. Something he intended to get around to picking out and something he never seemed to touch upon. Clandestine blood and cruelty; hidden beneath a supposedly hard and impenetrable surface. Lucifuges saw the young master shake his head and made a contradictory nod in confirmation.

"Yeah, I know. Ridiculous, aye?" He chuckled. "I'll never forget those words… for I was made to read and revise them a hundred times following that day. So that I would never forget the difference between the merciful God and the unmerciful O'yama. I remember Arata slamming the book shut with the strength of the PMS'y witch she was and pointing at me, declaring for the whole bloody world to hear; "Who stands before us, if not the incarnation of the Dark One himself? Sent to bring forth the God of the Jyunishi as was foretold in the fable. See in his eyes, we shall plant the seed, the testament of this dark power. The zodiac wheel where his pupil should be, contains the fourteenth symbol of the Black Daemon itself! He has been sent to test our new Family Master as the other was sent to test Tamiko. Hear now the words as they are spoken in the '_Louviers affaire_!' And this, my friend's, she actually quoted from memory:

**_"I also approve thy Book, and I give thee my true signature on parchment, which thou shalt affix at its end, to make use of at thy need. Further, I place myself at thy disposition, to appear before thee at thy call when, being purified, and holding the dreadful Blasting Rod, thou shalt open the Book, having described the Kabalistic circle and pronounced the word Rofocale. I promise thee to have friendly commerce with those who are fortified by the possession of the said Book, where my true signature stands, provided that they invoke me according to rule, on the first occasion that they require me. I also engage to deliver thee the treasure which thou seekest, on condition that thou keepest the secret for ever inviolable, act charitable to the poor and dost give me a gold or silver coin on the first day of every month. If thou failest, thou art mine everlastingly." _**

Hatori thought that it was just as sad that the Bane himself had memorized that cryptic folderol, but like most things he kept his thoughts dually guarded. Lucifuges puffed out his cheeks as though irritated and took a deep sip of his coffee, savoring the feel of the caffeine as it washed down his throat. For seven years he had been drip fed and he couldn't even begin to describe the liberation of being able to eat and drink at his own leisure. Something people took for granted he now cherished. The weight of the cup, the manner in which his fingers distinctly curled about the handle to prevent it from falling away, the heat of the steam on his face.

You couldn't possible understand it. Unless of course you had been condemned to darkness.

"That quote," he said. "Was made by a demon, _not the devil as some mistakenly believe, despite the similarity in their names, _called Lucifuges Rofocale in an interview from Grimorium Verum, in which he promised his services to a particular master. He swore by his own signature in the book he had chosen with which to impart his promise all of which you yourselves heard only moments ago."

Akito cleared his throat a little, eyebrows axing down forcibly to express his irritation. Lucifuges glanced over at him.

"I hate to sound like the uneducated one in this little gathering," the family master hissed, clearly hating even having to make the clarification. "But I wasn't raised on a diet of riddles, secret codes and figurative… _blasting rods…_" He very nearly blushed. "I don't even know where to begin with that quote."

Lucifuges seemed to consider this. "You certainly raise a very valid point. All right, I'll explain it. Lucifuges, the demon in the text, signed his name on a sheet of parchment, which was attached at the end of this particular book. The signature tied him to his master; a contract if you will. A contract with a demon.

_'I place myself at thy disposition,' _so he say's. What he mean's is; I am yours to command. Ask of me what you will. I shall obey whatever it is that you command. _'To appear before thee at thy call, when being purified, and holding the dreadful Blasting Rod.'"_

Akito nearly fell backwards off of his chair. He was blushing so hard he thought he might get a nose bleed.

_'Could this have something to do… with this morning?' _He wondered, clasping a pale hand across the lower half of his face. _'I wanted someone to save me. I called out to be saved. … Did he answer? Was it this man who sits before me now that heeded my call, just as the demon Lucifuges said he would? As for what it says about the… 'dreadful… blasting rod…' _Another blush. _'Well, I've certainly heard it called weirder things on television but I surely hope that I am tangling my symbolism here._'

Lucifuges had noticed Akito's embarrassment but tactfully chose to ignore it. Bringing up a person's discomfiture in the company of others was discourteous. Besides, he was sure that the others hadn't missed it anyway so no need to point it out. It was obvious enough without any help from him. A passing ship could have sailed into port, following that glow.

_"'I promise thee to have friendly commerce with those who are fortified by the possession of the said Book, where my true signature stands,'" _Lucifuges continued, tapping the table distractedly with his fingernails. Hatori glanced down upon hearing the noise and nearly gasped aloud before gaining control over himself. The Bane's fingernails were femininely long and sharp, even more so than Akito's. But unlike Akito's, Lucifuges possessed neither the pale pink half moon nor cuticle. The nails were pure black. No… not so much black but closer to being the corroded carapace of green that a bruise sometimes transmutes after a certain period of time. They were not shaped with a pretty curve but were square and chipped. After so many years in a coma that was to be expected he guessed. Hatori tried to divert his eyes before Lucifuges could see his disgust but the Bane noticed anyway. He just smiled grimly and withdrew his fingers, tucking them into a loose fist like a turtle pulling its' head into a shell. He continued to speak, unperturbed.

"Lucifuges meant in that statement that he would loyally serve and befriend those who owned his book. This book possessing the contract with his signature. He also made clear that he would only do so in accordance to the original rules of his invocation. I cannot further define that because those particulars are as unclear to me as they are to you. _'I also engage to deliver thee the treasure which thou seekest, on condition that thou keepest the secret for ever inviolable, act charitable to the poor and dost give me a gold or silver coin on the first day of every month. If thou failest, thou art mine, everlastingly.'_"

Lucifuges looked each Sohma in the eye and gave a heady wink to all of them. "With the exception of that silver or gold coin crap, I can see how the Sohma's took exception to this baloney. Their contract was with me and when I signed my name in the back of the Book of Archon, I became their slave. But in accordance to the particulars of _Louviers affaire, _there were certain rules they had to follow in my so serving them. 'Fortified by the possession of the book?' It is simple my friends; I am the servant of the Sohma family. The Avatar of their believed Dark One, their Bane from the Sohma parable."

He took another gulp from his coffee and swished it around his mouth for a moment. Once he appeared to have approved the taste, he carried on.

"After the 'honor' of listening to all that crap, they then liberally baptized me with a stinkin' fistful of bloody water, waving incense sticks round my head until I nearly passed out…" At this, his voice faltered and Kureno's eyes became downcast. Akito noticed, figuring that there was more to this affair than the Bane was willing to tell. However, when Lucifuges looked up again, his smile was firmly painted on his face, not a hint of the consternation he clearly had been feeling only moments earlier. "Well… let's just leave it at that, shall we? Ultimately some other shit went down and by the time Arata finally concluded the whole lame affair, I knew that something had changed about me. They'd revealed me for my purpose. I tried to keep my eyes veiled because I could see them staring at them. I know why now. They're ugly and frightening. But, the elders grabbed me and forced my lids apart to inspect the markings. Where my pupil is supposed to be, there has been a mark there ever since that stinkin' ritual went down. The symbol of the Chinese zodiac that continually rotates about my cornea. They were able to decipher it. It is the sign of the Black Daemon, one of the Twin God's from the original Zodiac legend, the biblical adaptation. When they saw this marking in my eye, Arata seemed satisfied that they had proven themselves right. _'From this day on_,' she said. '_You shall walk these halls Guardian as you have been rightfully accorded by our master but also rightfully as the creature you are. Family of Sohma, I give you; 'The Child of O'yama. Light Shunner 'Lucifuges- The God's Bane!'_ Lots of cheering and clapping ensured I can tell you.

According to the Book of Archon, there is a Fourteenth additional member to the zodiac that appears only every few or so generations and not necessarily related to the family by bloodline. This member is tied to the master of the cursed family, called to their side in times of great need. They will answer that call, regardless of whether or not they know the nature of their calling. This bond is sometimes attributed to the feeling of love and I can safely assure you that there is no love I have ever felt, as strong as this bond that draws me back to Akito time and time again. Not even love could save someone from the brink of death."

Akito felt a little touched, though he did his very best to conceal it. "The brink of death?"

"Ku-ku-chan?" Lucifuges called over the table. The rooster slightly lifted his chin to show that The Bane had his attention. "You have the articles in your back pocket. Let Kito-kun read them. He may understand somewhat then."

Kureno didn't ask how Lucifuges knew he was in possession of the articles. Such questioning would only be met by further ambiguity and even worse, snide posturing. Rather, he obeyed the command and retrieved the articles from his trouser pocket. Hatori watched questioningly as they were passed over to the pale grasp of the family master, who read them quickly and astutely. Every moment or so, his expression would twist to that of anxiety or disgust. He would elicit a small noise of shock and at one point, lowered the pages to caress the area of skin between his eyes as though the articles were too distressing to continue reading. At long last, he completed his task and delicately placed the pages atop the table. His mouth was open to question Lucifuges, who merely held up a hand for silence. Akito wasn't used to following another's orders but the look on the Bane's face was so temperate, what little protest he felt rise in his throat, withered away to nothing.

Lucifuges smiled and reached out to inoffensively brush his fingers along his chin. Akito forced himself to suppress a sigh. "I will answer all your questions soon, pet. Just allow me to finish telling you what I need to, hmm?"

Akito nodded. That's all he felt he was capable of right then.

Lucifuges mouthed 'Thankyou' and withdrew his hand, allowing it to fall atop Akito's own. He lifted the family master's fingers to his lips and lightly kissed the knuckle, an act that would have seemed phony as hell if anyone else had been the one to do it. In this sincere man's case, it merely appeared gallant, though it was being extended towards another man. Akito felt his cheeks go red again. For the love of God… how many times could this man make him blush in one night?

Lucifuges winked and softly deposited his hand back atop the table. Akito drew it to him as though it were a cherished possession, nursing it with his opposing fingers as the Bane continued his tale.

"This sign, called the Black Daemon, is supposedly what _I _represent. Though, might I just say, there have been enough women who have been more than happy to help me prove that I do not transform when hugged by a member of the opposite sex." He laughed. "For that matter, I don't have difficulties when embracing members of _either _sex!"

Akito frowned, his respect for the stranger going down a fair few notches. He was always… reproachful when it came to sexually confident people, believing them to possess a snide manner in which boasting about their escapades made them infinitely better than those around them. Particularly virgins. Immediately, he felt the burgeoning desire to take this guy down a peg or two.

"No wonder you skirt the family elders." He murmured, making sure his voice was suitably injurious. "You have committed the sin of Multiple Partners, the sin of Exceeding Copulation, the Sin of Intercourse before Wedlock and the sin of Gender Treachery. Unless of course you are like most men today and you are, how you say it… bullshitting?" He used one of Shigure's words, a word not so much spoken by him as it was in books he had read, movies he had watched and in the conversations of common folk around him. He liked the way it made him sound. Sort of tough. Sort of… sassy.

Lucifuges chuckled, the rusty laugh echoing from deep within his chest. It was more deep body movement than it was sound. He winked at Akito again, complimenting him for this delightful reprimand. "I'll leave that up for you to decided, sugar. Point being that I was a lost cause anyway. A sin before I'd even sinned. So why bother to stress? Following the rather rambunctious baptism in which they didn't even serve snacks and drinks, you kept trying to call me Shigure. I told you that my name was 'Lucifuges' but you didn't have much luck pronouncing that. You had this adorable little lisp thing as a child, so with that in mind, I suggested you call me 'Lucky' which you had no trouble with."

Akito nodded thoughtfully. "So that's why that name keeps popping up so much…"

"The psychological animation of the Family Master is an understated power attributed to the declining state of mental stability that the elders enforce." Lucifuges rambled, as though this should make perfect sense. "They aspire control themselves you see, pulling the strings in the background. Akito, your sub-conscious mind recalled my memory in some minor way. Without even knowing it, you perceived things changing around you; events unfurling that can be accorded as nothing more than the power of your mind at work."

"Even things that I… feel?" Akito wondered, thinking back to the shower that morning.

Lucifuges smirked. He seemed to be doing that a lot. "Well with… one exception. …That _was _me on the deck. Unfortunately, my physical state was dependent on that point by the memories of those around me. Of particular individuals. Even now I'm not entirely complete. My wounds couldn't heal properly because in essence I exist because this family is essentially what makes my existence count. Without anyone knowing of me, I could not assume physical form. It went in leaps and bounds but I was able to go from a purely spiritual form, to the form in which I left Sohma house seven years ago, to this form here. The one before I was Sanctioned. Everything else you thought you may have saw, was the work of you Akito. You have powers at your fingertips you can't even possibly imagine. Powers that have been lost to all the family masters over time. Lost because of those damn elders."

Akito didn't particularly understand, though he liked the passionate way in which the Bane was speaking. It was more than enough to compensate for his naivety at this point. And the very confirmation that this handsome man in front of him had been the same figure touching him in such an evocative way… It was too exciting. Could it be that Lucifuges really wanted him? God it would have been nice to have had sex with someone like him. Well… in his case it would have been nice to have had sex with anyone. He lightly touched his fingers to Lucifuges' arm again, wanting to convey his desires in a subtle and yet detectable way. "Lucifuges…"

But Lucifuges was finished with that particular detail. He cleared his throat and gave Akito's fingers a gentle, but dissuasive squeeze. "To continue…I served in Sohma House for seven long happy years as Akito's Guardian. I was one of his teachers."

"What exactly did you teach me?"

"Why the most important lessons of all!" Lucifuges declared with more than just a hint of pride in his accented voice. "Reading, writing, how to play the piano. Tried to teach you to draw but you just never seemed to get the knack of that one. We sang together a lot." He chuckled. "Boy, you had the voice of an angel. Probably still do, if you'd care to sing to me now."

"No." Akito finalized bluntly. "Now, why is it that after all those years you went away and left me here alone?"

Lucifuges considered his expression for a moment, his brow cocked upward expectantly. "You sound angry… are you angry?"

"If you promised my mother that you'd care for me and then rescinded on that, then yes, I am angry." Akito said in a hushed voice, so low it was barely discernable.

Lucifuges showed only the smallest sign of annoyance. The very suggestion that his expulsion from the Sohma house had been his fault outraged him! Much to his credit though, the only sign of discomfort he allowed to peep through, was a slight gnawing at his bottom lip.

"How about I tell you the particulars of it foremost before you start frowning at me like that?" He perked up instantaneously and scooted his chair back a little, patting his thighs. "Why not come and sit in my lap? You always used to like that as a kid."

Kureno and Ritsu laughed lightly, though Ritsu did try to hide it with his hand which only resulted in him making loud raspberries into his palm. Akito became even more irate and shot them both a look that could kill. Then he turned his eyes back to Lucifuges.

"I don't even need to use the 'I don't remember' excuse because I know I never would have done _that._" He snapped, crossing his legs and flipping the halves of his kimono about his body tightly. He was starting to feel very exposed in this clandestine man's presence. "Now, would answer my God damn question!

"Why don't you lower your God damn voice?" Lucifuges shot back unperturbed. The others blinked, surprised by his boldness. "I came back here because your soul cried out for me and as such, you might show me some common courtesy and address me politely! For Heaven's sake, I taught you that myself!"

By this point Akito was moving beyond the capacity of rational consideration and merely felt the burgeoning desire welling up within him to cause this man pain. He felt like a bird, driven into a corner and ever in danger of shattering its brittle bones against the wall. He felt threatened and frightened and defensive. And the only resolution Akito could ever find in these situations was to lunge on in, all fists and teeth and nails.

"Oh?" He exclaimed. "Well, _that _little tidbit of information must have slipped out of my mind, what with the whole 'you're going to die for this family' lesson that's been drilled into my noggin since day one. So excuse me if hospitality has taken a backseat!"

Lucifuges' hard expression softened a little. "My, my…" He gently touched his fingers to Akito's chin. "They've really ground you down, haven't they?"

He didn't bother to refute the Master's words with anything suitable scolding and simply withdrew his fingers and set them down around the coffee mug, a benign smile on his passive face. "Very well then, here's the story:

Seven years ago, the doctor Minoru Sohma… went ahead with a procedure that as your Guardian, I did not wholly approve of. Do you know what I'm talking about?"

Akito thought back to the word's he had heard Arata speaking that horrific day, seven years ago; "_He _won't let you." It suddenly occurred to him the connection. That _he _must have been Lucifuges. Akito nodded grimly, his mouth as dry as carbon paper.

"What procedure do you speak of?" Hatori asked. He had inconspicuously edged his seat closer to the Bane's side during the conversation.

Lucifuges sighed heavily. "An immoral procedure. Minoru, the doctor before you Hari… he… violated Akito for his semen. When he was only twelve years of age."

The physician rocked back in his seat, not quite believing what he had heard. "What!"

"Why would he even be allowed to do something like that!" Ritsu asked.

Lucifuges shrugged. "This family is a law unto itself my friend." He took another sip of his coffee and then with another sigh, set the cup down and pressed his head against the frame of his hands. "They made a rash assumption that Akito was homosexual and decided that to avoid the impossibility of him never producing an heir; they would acquire his semen and then artificially inseminate a chosen female. Rather than simply ask for the semen sample, like all things they chose to take it. I guess they figured Kureno and I would never allow it anyway.

I had been sleeping outside, like I always did. Near Akito's room I'd strung up a hammock. I can't stand sleeping indoors, I like being out in the fresh air unless of course the weather doesn't allow it. I noticed movement in the Main Entrance so I went up to check on Akito. Once I'd done that, I stepped out of the hallway and BAM! Got hit with a two inch hypodermic needle. I went down like a sack of potatoes, couldn't move a muscle. Believe me… I tried like Hell. Whilst I was incapacitated, he went inside and-''

He cut off, too disgusted to continue. Everyone looked over at Akito in shock, who simply skirted his shoulders in closer to his body. It looked all too much like he was trying to hide inside of the loose fitting bed yukata and no one felt as though they could blame him at this point.

"Oh Akito… I'm so sorry…" Ritsu whispered.

Akito frowned, brushing it off. "Never mind about that now."

Lucifuges cleared his throat. "He took his sweet time and the longer I lay there, unable to do a damn thing the angrier I got. By the time he was done, the adrenaline had completely flushed the drug out of my system. The moment he stepped out into the hallway, I knocked him down, smashed that god forsaken vial… and then…"

He trailed off.

"And then…?" Hatori prompted.

Lucifuges spoke with insidious reference. "Well in case you hadn't noticed… you don't see much of Minoru now, do you?"

They all fell silent as this fact sinks in. Minoru was known to have died seven or so years ago but the Elders' had insisted that it was a heart attack. Could it have been that they were covering up Lucifuges' part in it?

As though reading their thoughts, the Bane continued along these lines. "When the other elders found out what I had done, they ordered that my memories be erased. By none other than Hatori himself."

Hatori frowned, trying to recall a memory of his own that did no exist. "I don't remember such a-''

Lucifuges held up a hand. "It will be clear in a moment my friend. Just listen please. I of course, refused to undergo the procedure willingly because Akito was everything to me. I'd spent most of my life with him and I wasn't about to let that go, not for the sake of anything. Not even at the cost of my life itself."

"Y-You would have chosen death over your memories?" Ritsu stuttered. He was momentarily awed. No one would have ever done anything like that for him.

"It… really is a matter of speech but… to be forgotten is worse than death. …In my opinion at least. Hatori did indeed erase my memories. … Or should I say _attempted _to."

"What do you mean 'attempted?'" Asked the dragon, frowning from the dark shadow his hair cast across his face.

Lucifuges grinned a little fiercely. "I awoke from the sleep following the procedure and I had not forgotten a thing. Perhaps it was Tamako's blessing or my curse as the Black Daemon, who knows? But I remembered and my presence was no longer acceptable to the Family Elders. They gave me a night to say my goodbyes and the following day, they performed a dark ritual on me known as 'The Sanctioning.' They couldn't exile me from the family, knowing what I did. Imagine the kind of trouble I could cause with _that _information. The Sanctioning is conducted by three specific elders. Essentially, they tear the physical body apart to the point of death. And then they cast a spell, a spell that carves a mark into the victim and leaves them trapped in darkness within their own body, for the rest of their life."

"A coma." Kureno established for all those who had no imagination.

"Aye." Lucifuges murmured darkly. "Only they never got a chance to complete the ritual. Kureno here caused a distraction… and I was able to get away." He grinned slyly at Kureno, earning a disinterested head toss for his effort. "As foretold, I did indeed fall into a coma but since the spell was incomplete, it wasn't strong enough to resist the call of my master. Once I awoke a few days ago my body finally began to heal. And I knew it was time to leave."

Akito looked at him thoughtfully out of the corner of his eyes.

"That night I made the tape and hid it beneath the floorboards in Akito's room, hoping that one day when his need of me was great enough, he would be compelled to find it. Before I was dragged off to undergo the ritual, Akito awoke and come after me." His voice cracked a little and everyone was surprised to see those hideous red eyes starting to well up. He placed hand over the top half of his face, as though caging himself up and spoke between the gaps in his fingers. "He was screaming, wondering why everyone had a hold of my arms. He didn't understand where I was going without saying goodbye. I kept on kissing his face, trying to calm him down before he had another panic attack. The grief was unbearable for us! Here was my boy, my little brother, my _beloved _and I was being sent away from him. Sent away because I was protecting him and had _failed _besides, yet still sent away so that he would not know love. That was what it was ultimately about, you see. Other methods could have been used besides the Sanctioning but they used this hoping that it would leave me irreversibly scarred. I guess they didn't compensate for my abilities as the fourteenth member of the zodiac because despite the mess they made of me, I don't have one scar to show for it!"

"Why reason did they have for scarring you? What could they possibly hope to achieve by that?" Hatori wondered.

Lucifuges sighed and lowered his hand, revealing that he now had control over himself. Both his abnormally colored eyes were clear and bright. "I'm not quite sure…" He mused, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "So I would be unrecognizable should I ever return, I imagine. My face may have spurred the memories into reawakening so the less I looked like my old self the better. It's a moot point anyway."

Kureno frowned. "No, that's not it."

He had the small gathering's attention as he took his weight off of the wall and stepped forward into the light of the single bulb, his expression dark enough to cast a shadow over the entire group. "It _was_ one of the reasons. The real reason though was because they could see that Akito was falling in love with you. He was reaching puberty and they didn't want him to engage in a relationship with you and compromise his position as Family Master. He couldn't form worldly attachments if he was going to die for us. If he fell for you, it would have ruined everything they worked for. Heaven knows, he may not have even produced an heir." He leaned his arms down on the table, eyes aimed so directly into the Bane's it was as though he were boring a tunnel into his brain. "They wanted to scar you. So that on the off chance you returned, you would be so ugly he could not possibly fall in love with you again."

Lucifuges blushed and ran a hand through his hair. "Wow, am I really that good looking, Ku-ku-chan?"

"Don't call me that!" Kureno hissed, flushing angrily.

Akito couldn't say he was exactly surprised by this revelation. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed over his chest and smiled in an extremely self-satisfied way at the Bane. "Oh I was in love with you was I?"

This elicited a big grin. "Can't say I blame you. I really am quite the stud!" Lucifuges squealed, striking a pose. Kureno rolled his eyes.

"Wow, and I thought you were insane to begin with." He said, never missing a beat. "Obviously those seven years haven't improved your mental state. Now you're having hallucinations."

Lucifuges slumped in his seat. "Aww… Ku-ku-''

"Shut up and finish the damn story!" The rooster roared, nearly punching a whole clear through the table. He managed to get in control of himself just in time and skulked back over to lean against the wall.

Lucifuges sniffed. "Ku-ku-chan is so mean to me!" He wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of the kimono and then returned to the point in the story. "So, as I was saying, I guess the elders had it in for me since day one. I was the Bane after all!" Cue bitter laughter. "As I left Akito… you threw your arms around my waist screaming; "Don't go! Please don't go! I don't wanna be left alone again!"

Akito's eyes started to tear up at the emotion of the memory he cannot even remember.

"And all I could say was; 'I have to.' I looked the elders right in the eyes and said; 'See here what you are doing to him. I don't care what you do to me but I will never forgive you for what you have put this child through. This is the true evil of this family… to allow him to suffer like this.' You were crying so hard and so fiercely I thought you were going to collapse Kito-kun… I started to cry, I couldn't handle seeing you like that and I screamed for someone to take you away so that you wouldn't see what was going to happen to me. You wouldn't survive seeing me like that. Hatori grabbed you from behind and slapped his hand across your eyes. There was a flash of light and just like that… I was gone from your life. I continued to tell you how much I loved you, even though you couldn't hear a word I said. I left you a gift though, something you keep close to you, even until this day. Sazume, a small white finch. I placed him in a cage in your room and I doubt that you had any idea who left it there, even until this day am I correct?"

Akito nodded.

"Once I had been expelled from Sohma house, I gather that everyone who had ever known me was called to Hatori and he erased their memories of me as though I had never even come into your lives at all. Following this, Hatori too was forced to erase his own memories and just like that, I was forgotten.

After seven years in that god forsaken hospital, I awoke and made my way into the woods, where I have remained as little more than a cloaked apparition until I could take on a more tangible form. One that wasn't quite so… carved up. To gain the strength to heal properly, I needed to restore the memories of at least on or more of the Sohma's who had undergone the Dragon's Touch already. As the dragon can erase memories, I can restore them. Unfortunately, there are only three members of the zodiac who are susceptible. Don't ask me why but it has always been that way. I chose to return Ritsu's memory tonight because well… my original choice was one who had not forgotten after all. Like me, his memory remained, though for what reason I don't know. Kureno, Akito and I grew up together and of the three of us, Akito alone has forgotten."

There was a long hiatus as everyone took the time to dwell on these words. Then one by one, it all started to click into place and their heads started turning to look expectantly at Kureno.

The rooster tried to ignore them but the intermission was beginning to drag into uncomfortable lapses, punctuated alone by the drumming of the Bane's long fingernails atop the table. He wanted to take to those horrible things with a file.

"I thought for sure you wouldn't be coming back." He said at long lost. His voice was a flat undertone but his eyes flared with a reminiscent anger. "In fact, I was near to certain."

_Hint hint. Nudge, nudge._

Lucifuges chose purposefully to avoid the specific allusion, and merely tilted back in his chair as though he were the coolest person in the Universe. It was rather impressive to have walked away from a Sanctioning without a scar but Kureno didn't think that necessarily gave him the right to be so god-damn cocky. "Should have known better than to assume mate." The Bane casually spun the coffee cup around on the tip of his nail and then neatly caught it again before the liquid could spill. "I'm The God's Bane. I'll always find a way. Besides, I was never the type to break a promise."

Kureno opened his mouth to retaliate, when Akito suddenly drove to his feet and lashed both eyes toward him like the sharpest of whips. Kureno could already feel the sting of the accompanying words and wondered whether or not he was about to be rewarded with another nice little shiner to match his first one.

"You knew all this time and you never said a word!" Akito shrieked. Kureno edged away slightly. He had twenty or so years of martial arts training but he still would have put his money on Akito when he was mad enough.

"I couldn't tell you!" He insisted, wishing he had a sharp stick or a heavy net or something. "I was under oath."

Akito was either getting bigger or he was getting closer. Both of which was really bad for Kureno. "By whom!"

The rooster decided that his safest route of action was to shuck the blame away from him and throw the remnants upon someone else. He gestured at Lucifuges. "By him. By the elders. If I had mentioned it, it would have meant more trouble and perhaps an even more dire consequence for Lucifuges. And besides… it's such a mad story. Without evidence, no one would believe it."

This was actually the truth, though he wasn't about to admit his own specific responsibilities as a family elder and what blabbing out the secret to others would have entailed him.

Fortunately, Lucifuges was not the kind to dob others in and merely nodded supportively. Kureno was thankful for this same extension of mercy from the usually piquant man.

"It is pretty crazy!" The Bane declared as though it were in fact, the most wonderful thing he had ever heard. "But hey, it's a crazy world we live in! Cheers darlings!" He beamed and held up coffee cup as though toasting his crazy clarification.

Everyone stared at him, thrilled to the bones at being awarded a brand new psychotic family member.

"You're going to fit right in." Hatori confirmed, rubbing the space between his eyes and wondering what merry hell there was to be had when this guy was placed in the same room as Ayame and Shigure.

Speaking of the devils and no pun intended to our new friend here, it was at the precise moment that the door slid open and in walked Ayame and Shigure. Looking sleepy, still wearing their pajamas and rubbing their eyes.

Hatori sighed. "I just had to jinx it."

Kureno frowned and scrunched up his shoulders like a chicken puffing up its feathers in a barnyard scrap. He didn't say anything but he was clearly less than thrilled at the arrival of the two hyperactive lovers.

Akito was less subtle. "Oh splendid. What are the two of _you _doing here?" He sniped in the most unbelievably bitchy fashion. Not that he wasn't glad to see Shigure. He was always pleased at Shigure's presence. It was the fact that Shigure was carting along that caustic snake as though he were some kind of cockney fashion accessory that annoyed him.

Shigure responded mid yawn. He wasn't really a 'waking-up-in-the-dead-of-the-night' kind of guy. Though he was pretty sure it had gotten him out of what must have been a horrible dream so he wasn't going to complain. … Too much.

"Hari called us and said there was a disturbance in the Main House. He made us get out of our warm bed to come on over here and everything."

"So, what's the big emergency?" Ayame murmured rubbing some sleep out of his eyes. He was wearing an orange long sleeved leopard skin patterned pajama top, with little more than a pair of shorts underneath. Kureno was staring at him like he'd never seen the likes of such a fashion travesty before. "It had better be worth it because I was having the best sleep I'd had in – hold the phone…" He suddenly noticed the new addition to the happy little Sohma family and discreetly slunk over to Lucifuges, hopping up on the corner of the table near him, his long bare legs practically hanging right in the Bane's face. "And just what might be _your _name handsome?"

Shigure made big puppy dog eyes and waved his hands about erratically. "Oh honey, don't do that! Really. I'm about a second now from being kinda jealous."

"How can you even think about that so early in the morning?" Hatori wondered, clearly baffled that their hormones could wake up at a much faster rate than his two friends. Shigure gave him a little pat on the back.

"Aya doesn't exactly put a time period on his flirty ness, Hari." He explained, looking inexplicably proud for some reason.

Hatori sighed, suddenly feeling very old, very quickly. "Long story short: This is the fourteenth member of the zodiac, which is the Black Daemon. The elders called him Lucifuges because they have a tongue in cheek sense of humor. He was adopted by Tamiko when he was fourteen to be Akito's guardian and playmate. But seven years ago the doctor Minoru acquired Akito's semen sample in a very immoral way and Lucifuges taught him a lesson, thus leading the family elders to beat the shit out of him and put him in a coma which lasted for seven years. Now he's come back."

"Hey, you summed that up nicely!" Lucifuges said, holding up a finger.

"I'm one of those people who like to keep things brief."

Shigure considered this for about two seconds. "Right. Fair enough. And the reason I can't remember who the hell he is, is because…?"

This time Lucifuges took on recapping duties. "'Cause Hatori was forced to erase all your memories including his own!" He practically cheered, taking another sip of his beverage. "Boy, I sure love coffee!"

Shigure thought this over for another two seconds and finally shrugged. "Damn. Thems the breaks. Well, what can I say but… 'Welcome back buddy!'" With this cheerful declaration out of the way, Shigure pulled out a chair and practically shoved Akito aside in order to move his seat closest to Lucifuges. He sat there, elbows rested atop the table, beaming at him as though they were pen-pals meeting up for the first time.

Ayame remained in his roost atop the table, leaning his face down close to the handsome stranger. His eyes had taken on a vehement gleam. "Now, more importantly, are you single Lucifer?"

"Yes, but you're _not _Ayame." Kureno reminded him, sweat dropping.

"He seems to forget very easily, doesn't he?" Ritsu confirmed, smiling nervously. Hatori predictably looked weary at his friends' behavior and was patting down the clothes he had thrown on at the last minute, for the chance there might have been a cigarette fluttering around one of the pockets.

"I think both he and Shigure have forgotten at this point." He grumbled when his search came up empty.

While all this was going on, Akito was getting increasingly more frustrated at the amount of attention Shigure and Ayame were lavishing on the stranger. He wouldn't go so far as to say he was jealous but in a strange sort of way he felt a sudden affinity to the man who had appeared in his room in the dead of the night. A sudden possessive urge overwhelming all his senses and that aggravation finally got the better of him. With a growl, he grabbed the bar at the back of Shigure's chair, pulled it as far from the table as his minimal strength would allow and shoved his foot hard into the dog's stomach before he could utter so much as a squeak. The master's eyes were furious.

"Would you all please shut up!" He yelled darting his gaze about to each individual member in attendance, before allowing them to stab directly into Ayame. He pressed down harder with his foot, making sure Ayame knew full well the seriousness of his next words by threatening physical violence against his lover. Shigure groaned as the wind was pushed out of him. "And you_ snake_ – you can damn well back the Hell off and keep that forked tongue right where I can see it!"

Ayame whimpered slightly and noticeable scooted away from the Bane's end of the table, seemingly much to the disappointment of Lucifuges himself. When Akito was satisfied that he was a good affirmable distance away, he relieved Shigure of the pressure upon his stomach. Akito straightened up and then surprised everyone by making a slight bow in Lucifuges' direction.

"Beg your pardon." He said in his most respectful voice. This was hardly heard of by the other family members. "His awareness of the teachings and how he is accorded to act before an elder is not exactly up to scratch."

Only Kureno and perhaps Ritsu had some idea of the carefully implied intention of Akito's words and thus the others were confused as to what he meant. Lucifuges understood but did not seem to have been offended in any manner by Ayame and Shigure's casual manner towards him. He merely shook his head. "God Akito… you're so damn cute I almost forget the severe brainwashing you've endured." He mused, eliciting another unintended blush from the family master. "Ayame can speak to me if he wants to." He suddenly grinned in a rather frightful manner. "All he likes really. It's nothing I haven't heard before."

Ayame, felt safe to speak again now that he was out of arm reach of Akito and Shigure was hiding behind him. "You knew me too?"

"Oh yeah!" Lucifuges declared as he looked the snake up and down pointedly. "We knew each other _very _well. If you catch my drift."

Ayame's eyes widened. "Ah… I see…" And the usually unabashed snake actually blushed at what the stranger was suggesting.

Shigure smacked his lover lightly on the back of the head. "Aya, I'm ashamed of you!"

"Okay… _offended._" The Bane sniffed.

"I uh… hey, wait a minute!" Ayame took a moment to try and ready his offense. "You can't blame me for something I don't remember doing!"

"You don't remember half the things you do anyway, so why the hell not!" Shigure retorted looking fairly outraged that his current boyfriend was sexually intimate with other men before the two of them had gotten together. Ayame could see that he was not going to win this argument by rational explanations and his next move was to check to see whether or not the stranger was actually having a lend of him or not. If it was a joke, it wasn't a funny one.

He turned to Lucifuges who seemed to be forming deep emotional attachments to his coffee and clasped his hands together in a prayer like gesture. "Did we really sleep together?" He asked with a fairly pathetic expression on his face.

Lucifuges was not sympathetic enough to lie and merely nodded happily in response. "Mmmhmm! Only once and we were both quite drunk. It was fun. Though you actually thought I was Shigure at the time.."

"WHAT!" Shigure and Ayame screamed in unison. Kureno tried not to show his amusement.

"And you played up to it! How immoral!" Shigure snorted.

Lucifuges wasn't the least bit thwarted by this rebuke. "Just livin' up to m'name bud. Besides, if a guy that hot was coming onto you in a dark room, wouldn't you play up to it? And like I said… I was drunk. No one has ethics when they're drunk."

Akito crossed his arms across his chest, finding that the stranger was a lot more likable when he was talking in riddles and acting scary. His real personality was turning out to be a lot more… promiscuous than he had ever imagined. Perhaps he was more like Shigure than Tamiko ever expected. "You strike me as the type who has no ethics whatsoever." The master said softly.

Lucifuges was quick, he would give him that. "Throwing stones in a glass house, Akitty?"

Akito glared, his fiesty nature igniting further more, especially with the weird honorific. "I am adding; 'Sex with snake' to your already extensive Sin List."

"Sex with me is a sin?" Ayame asked glumly.

"Well I'm damned then!" Shigure cried, never missing a beat. Both men laughed jubilantly and held out their thumbs to one another. "Yes!"

Cue group sweat drop.

Akito sighed and rubbed his forehead. "At any rate… there are a few other questions I've been meaning to ask."

Lucifuges opened his mouth and the words just spilled out. "You want to ask me out right? It's the accent. People _dig _the Scotty accent. You hear it and you just can't help yourselves."

Akito stared at him, eyes wide and for a moment the Bane had thought he'd made a mistake, that he wouldn't realize that he was just fooling around to lift the mood. He supposed he should have known better than to be messing about in a confusing situation like this. It was a bad call. Just as he was about to apologize, the corner of Akito's mouth lifted slightly and he leant over the Bane, allowing the front of his kimono to slope revealing a long lean portion of smooth pale chest. His grin widened, becoming almost playful in its properties.

"Actually, oh one whom is clearly sex deprived from his long stay in hospital-'' Lucifuges allowed himself to grin at this delightful comeback. " –What I was going to ask is… what the _Hell _is going on? Strange things have been happening around here. Really bizarre things if you catch my drift."

Lucifuges took on a dramatic voice of suspicion, thrilled by the bright glimmer of humor he saw in Akito's eyes and wanting to prolong it. "Like, people getting hugged by the opposite sex and… turning into animals!"

_That _had been a mistake. Now Akito thought that he was mocking him. The shred of light heartedness suddenly fled from the young man's face and he lashed forward, long fingers closing around the front of the Bane's borrowed kimono. He leant close, his breath ragged. But not from anger the Bane was guessing. He'd heard that noise from men enough times to know the difference.

"Don't you dare make fun of me!" The master hissed, in a drawl more serpent like than the silver haired man sitting down the far end of the table, snuggling up to the dark haired dog of the zodiac. It was so clear to him the similarity. Not just between himself and Shigure… but them as well. When Lucifuges spoke again, his voice was a lot cooler.

"Hey, take it easy kiddo. Just trying to get a laugh out of you, that's all." He got to his feet, pulling free from Akito's grip with minimal ease and started to pace about the room like a caged bear, his thoughts racing a million miles ahead of his body. "When you say bizarre I take it that you mean you see and hear things you can't explain. You… notice strange phenomena, otherworldly apparitions, weird cloaked figures that sort of thing, right?"

There was a murmur of agreement.

Lucifuges nodded. "Let me cut right to the chase then." He stretched upward, straight and tall like an elegant Siamese cat and then and slowly made his way over to the window in order to appraise the night with his bizarre crimson colored eyes. He spoke to the families' reflection in the glass.

"There is a particular day attributing to the Sohma family that had a greater meaning in the past than it does today. Certain rituals were performed on this day to increase its power and potency. This day is called Shoki's or the Boy's festival, and it occurs on May 5th. In past era's it was believed that this day heralded the coming of demons and evil spirits such as ghosts or yurei as you might be comfortable calling them. You'll have to excuse me; my Japanese never has been that great. Ceremonies were conducted on these days to drive away the negative spirits and the Sohma family was no different. The last time this particular ritual occurred was hundreds of years ago and something went wrong. As a consequence the Zodiac curse was born and it was said that when the twenty-first master reigned, the souls of all those who died or were tormented as a result of their connection with the Sohma's, would return to exact their vengeance. At first I didn't believe it. And then I saw a wraith with my own eyes. It was believed that the reign of the twenty-first master, would also herald the return of this cult god the Sohma's had come to believe in those centuries ago."

"The Twin God's?" Ritsu piped up.

Lucifuges looked over his shoulder at him, an eyebrow raised to indicate his approval. "You've done your homework. It's not actually the Twin God's they expect though… but rather, the second coming of the Jyunishi God."

"What do you mean 'the _second _coming?'" Ritsu asked, though he already had a fairly bad idea from the obvious statement. Kureno answered his question for him, though his statement was clearly seeking out a denial of sorts rather than confirming anything for fact.

"Are you saying it has already been born once?" The rooster snapped.

"I'm telling you what those cuckoo elders believe, not what I know for fact, okay?" Lucifuges defended, both hands raised as though to shield them the two of them off. "Geez, don't wet your yukata's. Now, this is some pretty heavy stuff, so you are all gonna have to try and stick with me. You hear the stories about the paranormal, the unexplainable, right? In the spiritual world there are Stone Tape recordings (Imprints of past events), Ghosts, Phantoms, Shades, Specters, Wraiths, Yurei etc. What distinguishes that last one is its peculiarity in soul fermentation."

Ayame leaned close to Shigure. "This is all going over my head." He confessed.

The Bane struggled for a moment, trying to think up a simple way of explaining the facts. He looked around and finally spied a few sheets of paper strewn out across the kitchen bench. "Okay… imagine that this sheet of paper represents this place. The Casual space where all living things intermingle, right?" He held up one piece of paper and wrote the words 'Real world' on it. "We call this reality 'Real' for it is our plane of existence, the world of factual, no how no give me that with a fistful of salt crap. And _this _sheet of paper is called the 'Otherworld.' He scribbled 'Otherworld' on a separate sheet and held that up also for them to see. "This is where all the heebie-jeebies come from. Now when a person dies usually they go to judgment through this Otherworld and from there on, its' anyone's guess. But some folks don't get from Point A to B for some reason or another. Maybe they died a violent death, maybe they've got unfinished business, maybe they got tired halfway there, I don't know. But _these _folks become our spooks. At some point in time, the Sohma's and anyone acquainted with the Sohma's became incapable of passing through the Otherworld completely."

"You mean they all became… ghosts?" Kureno asked raising an eyebrow.

"Bear with me. I know it sounds ridiculous. But, there is something that literally blocks the souls from passing through this place, causing what's known as Soul Fermentation. This is where a soul remains for too long in that place; they must adapt and be processed. They become ghosties. This barrier is almost like a net."

"Or a spider web." Akito suggested softly.

Everyone turned to look at him for a moment.

Lucifuges inclined his head. "Yeah. Sorta like a spider web. Now… I don't know how this web got there or why but its' been there an indecent amount of time and in that time a whole lot of Sohma's have died. Now the notion of a wraith is that it is a ghost, an essence that denies its' own death to the point that it will consume other souls in order to obtain for itself a new life. Akito knows this because all of you have a wraith within you, an evil spirit. As the core of the zodiac curse it is the family masters' burden to take on the hunger of the souls in order to spare you all from being consumed. Up until now, the souls have been able to be contained in a place buried deep in the earth known as The Blindfold. It is a room that no light penetrates and sacrifices were made, so that the victims soul upon death, would act as a sort of plug. When the rituals ceased, the demand of the despairing spirits continued only now the thin balance that held them back has gotten weaker and weaker. Up until now they've been restrained between their own world and ours. However, _this _is what happened on May 5th, the day of Shoki's festival when _all _evil spirits gain power." He placed the piece of paper reading Otherworld over the one reading Real. "This is how we existed –'' Lucifuges took up a pen and punched a hole straight through both overlapping pieces of paper. "– and _this _is the current situation. To put it simply, you've sprung a leak. Souls from the Otherworld are leaking out into our world and they aren't exactly good house guests. These spirits are not purified. They're angry, they're confused, they died without any of the proper rights to relieve them of constricting emotions such as jealousy, envy, hate and it all comes back in the guise of a wraith. They persecute those responsible for their fate."

"Which would be the Sohma's… that's _us _Gure! I'm scared!" Ayame cried, flinging his arms around Shigure's neck and hanging on for dear life. Shigure placed his arms around him comfortingly but his skeptical gaze never left the Bane.

Lucifuges sniffed. "Well ya should be, little snaky. These spirits have got no mercy for the living. Their only desire is to live again… by taking the bodies of others if so be it."

"But why is it happening now?" Kureno wondered, finally conceding to taking a seat at the table and as such drawing the group even closer together. "What makes the twenty-first generation so damn special?"

Lucifuges had no answer to this. "I'm not entirely sure… I think the number may have magical connotations, or it relates somehow to the previous ritual…'' He considered silently for a moment, searching his memory for any recollection of his studies on the history of the Sohma family, but no explanation was ever given as to the relevance of the number 21 itself. "No… sorry but I have no answer for why its' happening now. All I know is that it was foretold that the Second Coming would occur in the 21st reign. That time is now. The Akito is the 21st master, the direct descendant of blessed Kanikito."

"Kanikito?" Shigure asked with some trepidation. Lucifuges glanced at him, though the expression was neither warm nor comforting in any way. It was brutally honest.

"Kanikito was…" And here he hesitated in closing the sentence. "She was the first family master. The Goddess of the _Jikan Jyunishi. _The daughter of the Twin God's."

Hatori frowned at him. "Just one moment; what on earth is this _Jikan Jyunishi _religion you keep on babbling about? I've never heard of anything remotely like that in all the time I've been here."

Lucifuges frowned back grimly. "That is because my friend, this creed has been around for far longer than you have and this family has grown particularly adept at concealing its secrets. As you are well aware.

The _Jikan Jyunishi Creed _is the original religion of the Sohma family; the following of the Chinese Zodiac had as its' deities two twin Gods, who by unnatural means conceived a child who lies suspended just out of reach of our own realm. Waiting for the chance to be born. Or so they say. The twin deities; both male, are revered but not on an equal basis. The Celestial God is accorded worship as unequivocal and benign good, despite his extremist one sided dictatorship of power when 'ALL' was made. HE believed that he had made no mistake when HE created the world. However, when HE was confronted with something so conflicting to all that he understood, HIS lack of knowledge took the place of acceptance and HE immediately lashed out and went to war with that which he saw opposed him. This is the irony of the religion itself and in its' earliest days, before the Sohma's took to twisting it in four different places and picking and choosing what best suited them, the very essence of the _Jikan Jyunishi Creed _was not anyone deciding right or wrong; it was people coming to the understanding that ignorance is the only true evil in this world. It corrupts us, corrodes us and that is where hence lies the embodiment of damnation. Not any perceived sin by insignificant mortals on this planet. We are unworthy of deciding for ourselves what is to be seen as right or wrong. The Celestial God was omnipotent, but HE too was not beyond making mistakes. Just because he didn't understand or like what was in front of him, didn't mean that it was necessarily evil and deserved to be punished. If you jump to conclusions, the real harm you inflict is that chip you take out of your very own soul.

As it was, the Celestial God found, as do many of us, that when we come to truly see and feel by example, we find that we are not preternaturally deposed to what we have for so long condemned. The religion itself is not so much the fable of two gay lovers finding the other a 'bit of alright', more importantly; it is not people we are seeing in the story. The Celestial God and the God's Bane? They merely represented the two branches of humanity. Those whose eyes were opened and those whose eyes were closed. As such, it was ultimately not the Celestial God who was presented as the 'good' character; if you want to think of it as shallowly as that. HE represented the people of our world whose eyes are closed. The Dark One, that which is more often prone to be misunderstood and live its life in solitude more often as a result, represents those who accept and are open-minded. As such, they are faced with persecution, when really all they want is to be accepted into the arms of those whose eyes are closed. They want to be understood. That is what the union between the Celestial God and The Dark One finally concludes; that the _Jikan Jyunishi Creed _sees all humanity uniting as One someday. And fighting to keep that justice. The birth of the child concludes that. A child is only figurative; what is really born is enlightenment. A new world. The blind now see and the persecuted are accepted. They are one at last.

Later Christian religions warped these teachings however. Not purposefully you must understand, though one can't deny that as a fledging religion the Christian's worked tooth or nail to get their point across, even at the expense of scrutinizing other religious icons, their symbols their beliefs. Sacred Pagan pentagrams now represent satanic worship. Certain lifestyles and acts are prohibited, partly because of their personal issues with them. Unsurprisingly, _the Jikan Jyunishi Creed _was one of many that was attacked for its cryptic and often disputed ambiguous, multi-layered interpretations. Rather than viewing the symbolism of the _idea _of the Twin God's in representation of a society in turmoil coming to peace, the Church scorned it because at that point in time homosexuality was viewed as sin. At least, by them it was. Why? Well there are many reasons, each one more outdated than the last but the point I'm making is that the particular marking in the bible, condemning homosexuality as a sin, was placed there to crush the creed of the _Jikan Jyunishi_. Soon the idea of two men together, rather than the concept of acceptance and understanding, became looked upon as something filthy and unnatural. The Christian God, _one God alone _so goes the belief, created the world with a flick of his finger according to them because to be omnipotent, to be omniscient and all benevolent is beyond human conception, human need of love, acceptance and understanding. Yet they insist that God made man in his own image. As a result, in the centuries following, the _Jikan Jyunishi Creed _struggled and became stained and became twisted by Christian influence. The remaining followers adopted the Dark One, originally what was perceived as a tragic hero figure whom encouraged one who was so close minded to open up to new experiences, as their fallen angel figure. They needed to categorize evil, where evil before had no place in this fable. And because the Christian God created all things and _HE _was good, the Celestial God now stood in his position as omnipotent, never wrong because he is the ONE outline. The Dark One is further persecuted. The fable loses its' original purpose, its' original and righteous beliefs. You can see why this child of the Celestial God and the Dark One is now viewed as an abomination. The elder's upholding the corrupted religion now; carry the Christian stain that homosexuals are Satan Spawn. A child of _two _men, though figurative, can only be bad news. It's unnatural to them. It can only be evil.

Now, this religion has gone from being a prophecy that gave people hope, _rebirth _as a society and a brighter more accepting future to look forward to, has been twisted to adopt a more literal and more repugnant belief. About five hundred years ago, the elder's took the belief too far and started messing around with Shinto rituals, corrupting them by bloodshed so that they no longer marked that stem of the original Japanese religion itself. They did some sick things. The sickest they ever did however, was to actually invest the 13 animals, including the cat from the fable and adhere to them as demi-gods. They made sacrifices of animals to them, every year named after them. For instance; were it the year of the horse, every month a horse would be taken to the altar before the stature of the horse and the animal would be killed. Its soul sacrificed to the demi-god. It's blood to drink, as Christ's disciples drank the figurative wine at the last supper. The body, of which they partook. _Also _figurative and quite beautiful in that symbolic tense. Not what our ancestors did. The past Sohma's twisted it to meet their foul end. For they did the unthinkable after the thirteen years passed and all the sacrifices to _all _the animals had been made.

They invoked the God of the _Jikan Jyunishi. _The one they feared would be born. They brought it out to guide them.

First, they used a medium to make contact with the _fetus _I suppose you could put it, in the spiritual realm. It spoke to them, whatever it was and it asked that measures be taken in order for it to be born into this realm."

"What do you mean by 'whatever it was?'" Hatori asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Lucifuges chewed his bottom lip. "Well, it surely could not have been the child spoken of in the creed, could it? After all, that was purely symbolic fiction. A state of belief rather than a bold statement on mere mortals knowing the thoughts of immortals alike." He paused for a moment and lowered his head as though something had just come to him. "My personal belief is that spiritual powers in the Sohma family are quite strong. So strong in fact, that after so many years of killing, bloodshed, the passing of souls, _perhaps _the belief in what they hoped to achieve became so strong, that they did indeed _create _this 'thing' they made contact with. For they reached something that day. And this something had but one desire; to be born.

The ritual was complicated; it required as its' base ingredients a vessel into which the child must be born. The vessel must be the body of a child, not yet removed from the womb of its mother. The mother must be only six months into her term of pregnancy. For some reason, the time frame was made a rather large point, seeming to suggest that the spirit had more likelihood of shaping the body to its' own design or control would be easier to ensnare. Of that I'm not sure. The final prerequisite was that the mother must be dead at the time of the invocation. The Sohma's did not hesitate. This being they had contacted, promised to provide them with comfort and prosperity. With luck in fertility, financial matters, farming and so on and so forth. It was like forbidden fruit in the Christian's Garden of Eden. And in an irony so deep you could not even hope to cut it through part way, the elder's snatched it.

They chose a woman perfect for the procedure and she offered her own life and the life of her unborn child, willingly. The elders performed the ritual and once this being had entered into the body of the deceased child, it began to kick against the wall of the mothers stomach. They cut the child free and it came from the body in a rush of blood. It was premature but very well formed for one birthed so young. The elder's naturally were a mixture of emotions. Elated. … Terrified. I feel that the latter may have applied more so than the prior."

_I get the feeling that I'm not going to like where this is heading, _Akito thought, crossing his slim arms across his chest. Goosebumps had broken out across his skin and he didn't think it was because of the chill in the kitchen. "Idiots." He grumbled, rubbing a hand up across his flesh, trying to warm it. "They do something like this and what did they expect?"

"I believe that they expected the child to be born as the child it would originally have been born." Lucifuges said as he titled back his coffee cup, draining the last few dregs of luke warm beverage. "What they got instead was… something else."

"Something else… you mean to say it was born such as the way in which the cat was?" Shigure inquired, recalling mentally back to Kyou's birth. He had come out of his mothers' body in the form of the True Cat, a terrifying thing for any mother to see. He could imagine some mysterious cult god being ten times as bad.

Lucifuges however shook his head. "No. And I feel that something like that would probably have frightened them less. No… this terrified them because the child was still essentially human. What it bore was traits that are uncommon even today and back then were seen as the most terrifying abnormality for a child to be born with. I don't know personally the name for the symptom but…"

He cleared his throat as though too disgusted to continue. He plowed on ahead valiantly however.

"They named the child Kanikito and she became the first family master. There was always something different about her, despite her physical faults, which were kept hidden from the rest of the world. She was unbelievably beautiful. Many remarked that her beauty was not of this world and of course naturally, it was not. She was able to see things before they happened, often terrible things which made those families surrounding the Sohma's suspect that she was a witch. All those who tried to harm her however, befell grave and often brutal deaths. Her eyes were haunting. They were like a cat's iris and they were the most brilliant shade of green. Her hair was long. In the records I found no one knew how to describe it. They said it was the color of ice, the sea when it is clear enough to see straight to the bottom. Or, my personal favorite; the lining of a cloud. Kanikito's hair, I have come to believe as such, was platinum blonde or silver.

Kanikito had one trait though that terrified even the elders who had given birth to her."

Lucifuges took a breath and was preparing to launch into his next explanation when someone beat him to it, with the exact words that he had been about to speak. The others were surprised by Ayame'sintervention but the Bane had almost expected it.

"No one knew how to explain it." Ayame said, speaking as though there was little doubt in his mind as to the authenticity of his words. "Why she had been born that way or for what reason." He stopped, sniffing back what threatened to become tears and stuttered upon the next sentence. "She… she was born with both male and female sex organs. Something back then that wasn't treatable. She went through her entire life believing that she was a freak, feeling that there was no one she could speak to candidly about it. Whatever she was, she had the mind of a mortal and she needed someone to love her. But no one ever did. Behind her back, they all called her a monster. They made her cry for hours in that room of hers, locked up so high above the rest of the world. She'd stare out the window and pray for someone to come and save her. _'Please come,_' she would say. _'Please come._'"

Shigure glanced at him sidelong, shocked by what his lover had just said. "Aya… how do you know this?" He asked.

The snake's eyes were downcast. "I'm not sure… I just…" He seemed to be suddenly and inexplicably upset by even speaking aloud in the first place. "All I know is is that weird things are happening around here and… it may sound arrogant Gure but I get the feeling that somehow… it's got something to do with me!"

"More than you know." Lucifuges stated with astute clarity. His eyes were shut as he spoke, as though he were reflecting back upon the past events themselves. As though they were playing across a screen in his mind. "More than anything, Kanikito desired to be accepted. She _was _the child of the Twin God's, born to present this world with something they didn't understand. A martyr to suffer and be persecuted, whilst she provided guidance to those that saw her as damned. They brought her into this world a monster and took no responsibility for her agony." He groaned and hanged his head, as though revulsion for past actions in the present were any sort of contrition. "Kanikito was born this way because she represents equality. In the creation fable of the _Jikan Jyunishi _there is no female figure. Only the figurative symbols of the two men. Not to outwardly suggest inequality but to propose that the compassion of woman is greater than that of men and that only through man finding peace with all the folly of the world, can they live with that very same compassion and acceptance that gentle woman has always possessed. Kanikito, unfortunately, represented the bridge. She was not born whole but rather came into this world a broken mess, shattered by the misleading beliefs of the elders who conceived her. If you stain a religion enough, you have not the power to change it completely. You cannot vanquish it from the face of this planet. What is most horrendous are those who believe but their belief is false and selfish. Through their arrogance, cruelty and bloodshed, Kanikito, the fragile perfect flower, a being to represent transience above all narrow-mindedness, was born reverted somewhat, back to the symbol of hatred she was intended to draw us all away from. It's mortifying. She was _corrupted _by them and instead became a figure somewhere between ignorance and understanding. In this physical reality, the confusion of the ideal took that body in order to present the mistakes and wrongdoings of the elders in a form that they could understand. But they didn't understand. They saw this mutation as _her _sin. Not theirs.

… Kanikito was the one whom created the zodiac curse. To be shunned your entire life creates in itself, hatred and bitterness. But, she also passed along a little something also. A factor that remains in the bloodline even until this day.

Hatori gasped. "You mean -?"

"Yes." Lucifuges said looking meaningfully at Akito. "The elders have more control than you think. For when each new family master is born, they decide on how far their acceptance and understanding shall go. Akito, you and yours are the direct descendents of Kanikito; the god of the _Jikan Jyunishi_. You were born as any other zodiac member was born but like Kanikito you, your mother before you and all those that came before her, were born both a man and a woman."

This naturally served as a shock to Akito and at first he couldn't think of how on earth to respond. Somehow it felt as though a part of his identity, which he believed himself to be, was shattered by this suggestion.

_That he was born a broken freak like that?_

He parted his lips as if to speak and then shut them again. What on earth was there to say in this situation? What in God's name could he possibly say to that?

Finally, he went with the obvious. Denial. "That's not true." He growled. "I wasn't born that way! It's not possible! How on earth could that symptom be treated?"

Lucifuges eyes were twice as cold as usual. "You _were _born that way Akito. And you _were _operated upon to make you a boy because that was what the elders preferred. This is a patriarchal family in case you hadn't noticed. Your mother was allowed the right to be a woman because they needed her to give birth to the next generation. You however, were not required to keepthat privilege. Owing to Tamiko's curse you are predictably more woman in that body than you ever will be a man. You do not age like a man. Your frame is too slender, your hips too wide as a result of your original intent. To bear children."

He didn't want to hear this! He wanted to slap his hands over his ears and block it out. Or failing that lunge across the table and tear those lying lips right off of the man's face.

"That's… that's a lie!" He shrieked stumbling out of his seat, tipping it over backwards in his haste to flee the scene. "My frame is a family trait! And I'm thin because of my sickness! And as for my hips… well, I'm sure there are plenty of men with hips like mine! It's not some abnormity!"

"There is no need to be defensive, Akito." Lucifuges stated calmly, rising to his feet.

Akito shot a look at Kureno. "Tell him!" He shrieked, pointing a quaking finger at the Bane as the came around the table towards him. "Tell him he's lying! Tell me… tell me that what he's saying isn't true!"

When Kureno refused to follow his demand, Akito felt himself lose hope completely. The tight reigns he held over his emotions shattered and he broke down sobbing, still pointing at the tall dark haired man with the blood-red eyes. "Kureno… tell him…" He begged.

Kureno's eyes were downcast and he seemed to be suffering from something that conflicted a wrenching battle within the tide of his own emotions. When he spoke his voice was barely a susurration. "It's true Akito…"

"NO!" Akito screamed.

"I was there the day they performed the procedure. Minoru did it. They made you a man because it is what they wanted."

Akito glanced around the table in horror, seeing looks of pity, of revulsion, even of fear from the faces of those present there that night. He didn't know what to do. He had never witnessed any physical evidence upon his body to suggest that someone had corked him up like a sink. The very idea made him sick to his stomach. He truly did feel as though he had become a completely different person in the last few minutes. A great kick surged upon his stomach and he heaved, bending in the middle and he very nearly vomited there and then. Lucifuges looked on in sympathy.

"You're not alone Akito…" He told the young master as he wiped at his mouth with his yukata sleeve. "There was one other born before you that went through the exact same thing."

It almost didn't seem to register, particularly in Shigure's mind, as Lucifuges stopped his trail around the table only to come to a standstill behind Ayame's chair and rest his long fingers atop his shoulders. Ayame looked predictably aghast.

"Huh?" He intoned.

Akito stared at him. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I don't kid about such serious things." The Bane assured, pressing his sharp nails tightly into the snake's shoulders. Akito swallowed back another gag.

"But why… _him_?" He wretched, lowering himself down on his knees as the strength left his body. Lucifuges' face held no emotion when he answered.

"Because the two of you are both descended from blessed Kanikito." He explained brushing his hand across the crown of Ayame's head. "Isn't it obvious to you all by now? Ayame is the spitting image of the god of the Jikan Jyunishi. He is the _direct _descendant. Tamiko's first born and the _true _master of the Sohma family. The one she named Akito."

**A/N: **Egads! (Faints) Been meaning to get that done for a LONG time folks! Do I hear my review panel flooding with lots of outraged flames? Oh well, send 'em my way, I don't care. I like this twist and if you don't then take a hike. This damn chapter took a lot of effort so I hope someone out there appreciates it.

Again, sorry to all my readers of Born to be Broken who were waiting with anticipation for me to update and me not getting around to it soon enough. Like I said, a certain little manga revelation destroyed me for a while but hopefully this new update will make amends!

Please R and R and I'll see what I can do about that next chapter. (I liked how I worked the manga revelation into my fic without compromising my own beliefs, don't you guys?)

Well, 'till next time; HERE COME'S THE 'S!'


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